Atlatls

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of ancient tool used for throwing spears or darts with increased force and distance
2. a lever-like device that enhances projectile motion through mechanical advantage
3. an implement that represents early innovation in hunting technology by improving the efficiency of weapon use

Etymology: An atlatl is a spear-thrower: a wooden shaft with a hook or socket at one end that cradles the back of a dart, letting the thrower launch it much faster and farther than by hand. The word comes from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, where "ahtlatl" referred to this device. Spanish colonizers encountered it in Mexico and adopted the term, and English later took it from Spanish, so the name is a loanword that travelled through two languages before reaching English. The device itself is far older than the Aztec civilization. Spear-throwers appear in the archaeological record of many prehistoric cultures across the world, and the Nahuatl word simply names the tool as it was used in central Mexico when Europeans arrived. English speakers often use the term for any spear-thrower of this kind, regardless of where it was found.