Throwing Spears
A javelin is a light spear designed primarily to be thrown, historically as a ranged weapon, but today predominantly for sport. The javelin is almost always thrown by hand, unlike the bow and arrow and slingshot, which shoot projectiles from a mechanism. However, hurling devices do exist to assist the javelin thrower in achieving greater distance.
The word javeline comes from Middle English and it derives from Old French javelin, a diminutive of javelot which meant spear. The word javelot probably originated from one of the Celtic languages.
Read more about Throwing Spears: Prehistory, List of Javelins
Famous quotes containing the word throwing:
“Nothing more powerfully excites any affection than to conceal some part of its object, by throwing it into a kind of shade, which at the same time that it shows enough to prepossess us in favour of the object, leaves still some work for the imagination.”
—David Hume (1711–1776)