JAVELIN  , a

spear, particularly one light enough to be thrown, a dart . The javelin was often provided with a thong to help in casting (see SPEAR) . Javelin-throwing is one of the contests in the athletic section at the international Olympic games . Formerly the sheriff of a county or borough had a body of men armed with javelins, and known as javelin-men, who acted as a bodyguard for the judges when they went on assize . Their duties are now performed by the ordinary police . The word itself is an adaptation of Fr. javeline . There are several words in Celtic and Scandinavian languages and in Old English, meaning a spear or dart, that seem to be connected with javel, the base form in French; thus -Welsh gaflach, Irish gabhla, O . Norwegian gaflok, O . E. gafeluc, later in the form gavelock, cf . O . Norman-Fr. gavel at, javelot, Ital. giavelolto . The origin seems to be Celtic, and the word is cognate with Ir. gafa, a hook, fork, gaff; the root is seen in " gable " (q.v.), and in the German Gabel, fork .

The

change in meaning from fork, forked end of a spear, to the spear itself is obscure .