Where does “javalina” come from?
javalina (Spanish) comes from Spanish jabalina, from French javeline, from Middle French javeline, from Old French javelline, from Old French javelot, from Vulgar Latin gabalottus, from Gaulish gabalos, from Proto-Celtic gabalos — fork, branch of tree.
Ancestry of “javalina”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | jabalina | javelin; female equivalent of jabalí |
| 2 | French | javeline | javelin |
| 3 | Middle French | javeline | a type of long, thin, spear |
| 4 | Old French | javelline | a type of long, thin, spear used as a weapon |
| 5 | Old French | javelot | javelin |
| 6 | Vulgar Latin | gabalottus | spear |
| 7 | Gaulish | gabalos | — |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | gabalos | fork, forked branch |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | gʰabʰlos | fork, branch of tree |