Way of signing [on menuki]
短冊銘 - tanzaku-mei (signed on an inserted plaque)
割根先銘 - warinesaki-mei (signed on the support post)

Era/jidai:
初期 - shoki - early
中期 - chuki - mid
末期 - makki - late
 

Shape [of tsuba]
丸形 - maru-gata (round)
竪丸形 - tate maru-gata (oblong round)
撫丸形 - nade maru-gata (smooth round)
木瓜形 - mokko-gata (four lobes)
角形 - kaku-gata (square)
撫角形 - nade kaku-gata (smooth square)
菊花形 - kikka-gata (chrysanthemum)
車形 - kuruma-gata (wheel)
葵形 - aoi-gata (hollyhock)
泥障形 - aori-gata (saddle)
変り形 - kawari-gata (unusual)
椀形 - wan-gata (domed/bowl)
 

Material
鉄地 - tetsu-ji (iron)
赤銅地 - shakudō-ji (copper mixed with gold)
素銅地 - suaka-ji (copper)
四分一地 - shibuichi-ji (copper mixed with silver)
山銅地 - yamagane-ji (unrefined copper)
真鍮地 - shinchu-ji (brass)
金無垢地 - kinmuku-ji (solid gold)
 

Surface

磨地 - migaki-ji (polished)
魚子地 - nanako-ji (fish eggs)
石目地 - ishime-ji (stone)
槌目地 - tsuchime-ji (hammered)
斜鑢地 - shayasuri-ji (diagonal filing)
阿弥陀鑢目 - amida-yasurime - radiating lines starting from the center
時雨鑢目 - shigure-yasurime - slanting lines that resemble rain

Openwork

地透 - ji-sukashi (openwork)
影透 - kage-sukashi (silhouette openwork)
糸透 - ito-sukashi (line/thread openwork)
小透 - ko-sukashi (small sukashi)
 

Carving

肉彫 - niku-bori (dimensional carving)
高彫 - taka-bori (high relief carving)
容彫 - katachi-bori (shaped) [common for menuki]
片切り彫 - katakiri-bori (half-cut carving)
毛彫 - ke-bori (hair line carving)
鋤出彫 - sukidashi-bori (dug away carving)
深彫 - fuka-bori (deep carving)
甲鋤彫り - kōsuki-bori (shell-shaped carving)
倶利彫 - guru-bori (level carving)
 

Decoration

象嵌 - zōgan (inlay)
金象嵌 - kin-zōgan (gold inlay)
平安城象嵌 - Heianjō-zōgan (brass inlay)
素銅象嵌 - motodō-zōgan (copper inlay)
布目象嵌 - nunome-zōgan (crosshatch overlay)
色絵 - iro-e (colour overlay)
金銀色絵 - kingin iro-e (gold and silver colour overlay)
銀象嵌 - gin-zōgan - silver inlay
平象嵌 - hira-zōgan - flat inlay (flush)
据文象嵌 - suemon-zogan (to inlay a separately made design or motif)
 

Rim [on tsuba]

丸耳 - maru-mimi (round)
角耳 - kaku-mimi (square)
土手耳 - dote-mimi (piped)
打返耳 - uchigaeshi-mimi (bevelled)
鋤残耳 - sukinokoshi-mimi (carved down)
覆輪耳 - fukurin-mimi (metal band)
鋤出耳 - sukidashi-mimi (dug away)
 

- Compiled and submitted by Kyle (kyushukairu) and Dirk O. -