Where does “javeline” come from?
javeline (Old French) comes from Old French javelot, from Vulgar Latin gabalottus, from Gaulish gabalos, from Proto-Celtic gabalos, from Proto-Indo-European gʰabʰlos — fork, branch of tree.
Ancestry of “javeline”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | javelot | javelin |
| 2 | Vulgar Latin | gabalottus | spear |
| 3 | Gaulish | gabalos | — |
| 4 | Proto-Celtic | gabalos | fork, forked branch |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰabʰlos | fork, branch of tree |