thumb|stag antler sgian dubh thumb|a sgian-dubh being worn on the leg the sgian-dubh ( ; ) is a small, single-edged knife (gaelic sgian) worn as part of traditional scottish highland dress along with the kilt. originally used for eating and preparing fruit, meat, and cutting bread and cheese â as well as serving for other more general day to day uses such as cutting material and protection, it is now worn as part of traditional scottish dress tucked into the top of the kilt hose with only the upper portion of the hilt visible. the sgian-dubh is normally worn on the right leg, but can also be worn on the left, depending on whether the wearer is right or left-handed. ==etymology and spelling== the name comes from the gaelic sgian-dubh. although the primary meaning of dubh is "black", the secondary meaning of "hidden" is at the root of sgian-dubh, based on the stories and theories surrounding the knife's origin, in particular those associated with the highland custom of depositing weapons at the entrance to a house prior to entering as a guest. compare also other gaelic word-formations such as dubh-sgeir "underwater skerry" (lit. black skerry), dubh-fhacal "riddle" (lit. hidden word), dubh-cheist "enigma" (lit. hidden question). despite this practice, a small twin edged-dagger, (a mattucashlass, gaelic sgian-achlais), concealed under the armpit, combined with a smaller knife, ('sgian-dubh'), concealed in the hose or boot, would offer an element of defence or of surprise if employed in attack. as sgian is feminine, we would expect the form sgian dhubh, since a feminine noun causes initial consonant lenition in a following adjective, and indeed the every-day modern gaelic for a normal 'black knife' is sgian dhubh. however, the term for the ceremonial knife is a set-phrase containing a fossilized historical form. in older gaelic, a system of blocked lenition meant that lenition did not occur when the adjective started with a consonant of the same group as the final consonant of the noun, and n and d are both alveolar. various alternative spellings are found in english, including "skene-dhu" and "skean-dhu"."skene1" oxford english dictionary. 2nd edition, 1989.  (subscription required). the plural is most commonly sgian-dubhs (in its various spellings) but sgians-dubh is also occasionally encountered. the proper gaelic plural 
Blade_weapons Ceremonial_knives Daggers Scottish_Gaelic_language Scottish_dress Weapons_of_Scotland