Dha ( sword ) Dha ( also spelled " dah " or " dhaw " ) is the Burmese word for " knife . " The term dha is conventionally used refer to a wide variety of knives and swords used by many people across Indochina , especially present - day Myanmar ( Burma ) , Thailand , Yunnan , Laos , Cambodia and Vietnam . Origins . The broad use and diffusion of the dha across Southeast Asia makes it difficult to attribute a definitive origin . The Burmese moved into Southeast Asia from the northwest ( present day India ) , passing thought Assam , including a region dominated by the Naga people called Nagaland . The dha and its variants were possibly derived from the Naga dao , a broadsword used by the Naga people of northeast India for digging as well as killing . The Naga weapon was a thick , heavy , eighteen - inch long backsword with a bevel instead of a point , and this form of blade is found on some dha . Alternatively , the dha may have its origins with the Tai people who migrated to the area from what we know today as Yunnan Province in southern China . The Khmer and Mon peoples were well established before the arrival the Tai or the Burmese people ; perhaps they invented the dha ( 13th - century reliefs discovered at Angkor depict dha ) . The history of the region includes many periods where one or the other of these groups dominated , bringing along their culture , including their weapons , to conquered areas . Similar terms exist in the surrounding area with slightly different meanings . The Chinese word " dao " ( pronounced " tou " in Cantonese ) means knife but can refer to any bladed weapon with only one edge . In Bengali , a " dao " is a six inch long knife . From the Himalayas , the dao spread to Southeast Asia where it came into its present shape . While it is pronounced dha in Burmese , among Khmer - speakers it is known as " dao " and some believe it is related to the Malay words " pedang " and " sundang " , meaning sword . The dha itself is called " krabi " in Thai , but the equivalent Thai term is " daab " ( ดาบ ) which usually refers to a straight double - edge sword . A related term , " dap " , means a long - handled sword in Malay . Anatomy . Dha vary considerably according to locality but they share a few features the define them apart from other weapons and tools of the area . These features are a round cross - section grip , a long , gently curving blade ( sometimes upward , other times downward in the direction of use ) with a single edge , and no guard . Knives and swords with these characteristics are viewed by ethnic groups of the region as being of a single type , albeit with variations arising from local style and tradition . There are a large number of possible shapes for the tip , with upswept , downswept , squared - off and spear - like varieties all being found . The blades are often inscribed , which can range from a simple maker ' s mark to quite intricate designs that may also feature inlay s . Hilts range from hand - width to quite long . A blade / hilt length ratio of 2 : 1 is not uncommon . Despite these long handles , most dha are meant for single - handed use , although some two - handed weapons exist . Guards are small , if present at all . Thai daab may have a guard similar to the tsuba of the Japanese katana . The montagnard dha may have a guard that barely exceeds the diameter of the handle and they can be regarded more as a spacer . The construction of the hilt varies widely by type and region or origin . Hilts range from simple wood , possibly wrapped in rattan or covered in ray skin , to elaborately worked silver and ivory . Pommels may or may not be present . Scabbards are made from two strips of wood , often bamboo , secured by metal bands , rattan ( e . g . , " village " dha ) , or completely wrapped in metal