Word To Use Today: javelin.

Javelins have been around for at least 400,000 years.

That's longer than there have been people.


The 400,000 year-old ones found in Germany are made of spruce and would have been used by either Homo erectus:



or Homo heidelbergensis:



These throwing spears are quite front-heavy, which is what suggests they were javelins and not just used for stabbing.


A javelin is designed to go far and fast, and javelins have given their name to various aircraft, plane engines, rockets, trains, cars, coaches, phones, racing dinghies and phones.


There's also a Javelin frog:





 a Javelin sand boa:





 a Javelin fish:



drawing by Dr Tony Ayling


(my dictionary says it has a long spine on its anal fin, but I can't see it here.)


and a javelin spookfish, which does look very like a ghost, especially when seen from the front:



A javelin argument is one supporting the infinite size of the universe: and, let's face it, if the universe can come up with you, me, and the javelin spookfish then it must be absolutely flipping enormous.

Spot the frippet: javelin. This word comes from the Old French word javeline, which is a version of javelot, which is Celtic.