Once again we bring you the peculiar English vocabulary French author Jean-Christophe Valtat employs so ingeniously in his novel Aurorarama – words that often left our copy-editor perplexed as to what language she was reading.

Halberd — a combined spear and battleaxe.

Valtat’s musings:

Halberd: A word which sounds like clashing metal, as ferocious and cumbersome as the object it describes. The French Hallebarde is even more intimidating, as it seems to draw the square bearded silhouette carrying the weapon. That said, nowadays, Halberd is mostly linked with disaffected extras on Shakespearean stages. And of course, for full effect, you have to wear a morion.

(Morion: A kind of helmet without beaver or visor.)