From Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (šmšyl /⁠šamšēr⁠/), [Book Pahlavi needed] (špšyl), 𐫢𐫜𐫢𐫏𐫡 (šfšyr /⁠šafšēr⁠/, “sword”). Cognate with Parthian 𐫘𐫜𐫘𐫏𐫡 (sfsyr /⁠safsēr⁠/, “sword”). Compare Iranian borrowings Old Armenian սուսեր (suser, “sword”), Classical Syriac ܣܦܣܝܪܐ (sap̄sērāʾ, “sword”), Jewish Babylonian Aramaic ספסרא, ספסירא (sap̄sērāʾ, “sword”), Ancient Greek σαμψήρα (sampsḗra, “foreign sword”), and possibly Italian scimitarra (“scimitar”).