Moroha no Tsurugi (Double-edged Sword)

Today I will talk about the term "moroha no tsurugi."

"Moroha" means "double-edged," "tsurugi" means "sword," and "moroha no tsurugi" means that something is very useful while it could cause a serious damage to yourself.

This is because a double-edged sword could is easy to hurt yourself.

In the Japanese national role-playing game, "Doragon Quest," "moroha no tsurugi" is appeared as a weapon, so many Japanese people familiar with this term.

This weapon has a high offensive power, but some of damage that you gave come back to yourself.

Incidentally, it is said that both the English term "double-edged sword" and the Japanese term "moroha no tsurugi" comes a passage from the Bible.

諸刃の剣

今日は「諸刃の剣」という言葉を紹介します。

「諸刃」は「両側に刃がついていること」を意味し、「諸刃の剣」は「一方ではとても役に立つが、他方では大きな損害をもたらす危険があること」を意味します。

どちらの縁にも刃がついている剣は、自分自身を傷つけてしまう恐れがあることに由来します。

日本の国民的RPGであるドラゴンクエストでは、武器として「もろはのつるぎ」が登場するため、多くの日本人にとってこの言葉はなじみがあります。

この武器は高い攻撃力を有しますが、与えたダメージの一部が自分に返ってきます。

ちなみに、英語の "double-edged sword" も日本語の「諸刃の剣」も聖書の一節から来ているそうです。