javelin

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*gʰeh₁bʰ-
2. Proto-Celtic · derived from*gablā“fork, forked branch”
3. Gaulish · derived fromgabulum
4. Vulgar Latin · derived from*gabalus
5. Old French · derived fromjavelline
6. Middle English · inherited fromchafeveleyn, gavelong
7. English todayjavelin

From Middle English chafeveleyn, gavelong, from Old French javelline, diminutive of javelot, diminutive of *javel, from Vulgar Latin *gabalus, from Gaulish gabulum (compare Old Irish gabul (“fork”), Welsh gafl), from Proto-Celtic *gablā (“fork, forked branch”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ-. The Old French term was also borrowed into Middle Low German as gaveline, and into Middle High German as gabilot. Cognate with gavelock, gaffle.

Words from the same roots