Where does “javelin” come from?
Javelin comes from Old French javelline, from Old French javelot, from Old French javel, from Gaulish gabalos, from Proto-Celtic gabalos, from Proto-Indo-European gʰabʰlos.
javelin (English): A light spear thrown with the hand and used as a...
Definitions
- A light spear thrown with the hand and used as a...
Ancestry of “javelin”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | javelline | a type of long, thin, spear used as a weapon |
| 2 | Old French | javelot | javelin |
| 3 | Vulgar Latin | gabalottus | spear |
| 4 | Gaulish | gabalos | — |
| 5 | Proto-Celtic | gabalos | fork, forked branch |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰabʰlos | fork, branch of tree |
Words derived from “javelin”