Etymology Dictionary

JAVELIN,  a kind of spear or dart.  (F.,—C.?)   Used in the sense of boar-spear, Shak., Venus, 616.—O.F. javelin, m., javeline, f., 'a javeling, a weapon of the size between a pike and partizan;' Cot.   Cf. O.F. javelot, 'a gleave, dart, or small javelin;' Cot.   Also Span. jabalina, Ital. giavellotto, a javelin.   β. Perhaps of Celtic origin.   The orig. sense is merely a pointed weapon, and the orig. javelin was doubtless a piece of a branch of a tree with a forked head made by cutting off the sprays.   The Breton gavlin and gavlod may merely be borrowed from the French, yet the Bret. also has the true Cetlic word gavl (also gaol), a place where a tree forks.   But the origin appears more clearly from the Irish gaf, gafa, a hook, any crooked instrument; gabhla, a spear, lance; gabhlach, forked, divided, peaked, pointed; gabhlan, a branch, a fork of a tree; gabhlog, any forked piece of timber; gabhal, a fork.   Cf. Gael. gobhal, a fork; gobhlach, forked, pronged; gobhlag, a small fork, two-pronged instrument; gobhlan, a prong, small fork, weeding-hook.   Also W. gafl, a fork; gaflach, a fork, a dart.   See Gaff.   γ. Hence may also be explained the M.E. gavelok, a javelin, dart, in King Alisaunder, l. 1620; A.S. gafeluc, gafeloc (Leo); also M.H.G. gabilót, a javelin.   As these words are all borrowed from Celtic, the initial letter remains unchanged.