[chryuop]

Yesterday Ｉ came across this word: 竹刀. I had never seen it before, but I assumed it was a bamboo word. I look on the dictionary for it thinking it might be read something like ちくとう or (less probable) たけそり. With my amazement I found out it is read しない (none of the two a reading I knew for those 2 kanji).

Now, my question is this one. Is the reading しない because a bamboo sword is supposed not to cause death? (forgive me, but I had to ask).