Assegai

Assegai

An assegai or assagai (originally Berber "zaġāya" "spear", from Old French "azagaie" Old Spanish "azagaya" < Arabic "az-zaġāyah") is a pole weapon used for throwing or hurling, usually a light spear or javelin made of wood and pointed with iron.

Europe

The assegai was probably exported to the Iberian peninsula from Berber Africa although it resembled the ancient Iberians' falarica. The assegai became popular among the Christian warriors of the Reconquista and was used extensively throughout the High Middle Ages. The 14th century Catalan Christian foot mercenaries called the Almogàvers wielded this weapon to great effect throughout southern Europe and the Levant.

Africa

The use of various types of the assegai was spread all over Africa and it was the most common weapon there. The Zulu and other Nguni tribes of South Africa were renowned for their use of the assegai. Shaka of the Zulu invented a shorter-style assegai which had a larger, broader blade. This weapon was known as the "iklwa" or "ixwa" – for the sound that was heard as it was withdrawn from the victim's wound – and was used as a stabbing weapon during mêlée attacks. The traditional assegai was not discarded but was used for a softening range attack on enemy formations before closing in for close quarters battle with the iklwa. This tactical combination originated at Shaka's military reforms much resembled the Roman's tactical combination of pilum and gladius.

Botany

It is also the name of a southern African tree ("Curtisia dentata") whose wood was suitable for making spears or lances, most notably by the Bantu peoples of southern Africa.

ee also

*Javelin
*Soliferrum
*Falarica
*Falcata
*Pilum
*Almogavars
*Shaka's military reforms
*Assegai Tree, "Curtisia dentata"

References

*1911


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Assegai — Angaben Waffenart: Speer …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Assegai — As se*gai, n. Same as {Assagai}. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Assegai — Assegai,   Speer der Bantu, Assagai …   Universal-Lexikon

  • assegai — ► NOUN (pl. assegais) ▪ a slender iron tipped spear used by southern African peoples. ORIGIN Arabic, the spear …   English terms dictionary

  • assegai — [as′ə gī΄] n. [Port azagaia < colloquial Ar az zaghāya < az, for al, the + Berber zaghāyah, spear, prob. < Berber (cf. Tuareg (a)zegiz, long armed dagger)] 1. a slender spear or javelin with an iron tip, used in S Africa 2. a tree… …   English World dictionary

  • assegai — /as euh guy /, n., pl. assegais, v., assegaied, assegaiing. n. 1. the slender javelin or spear of the Bantu speaking people of southern Africa. 2. a southern African tree, Curtisia dentata, of the dogwood family, from whose wood such spears are… …   Universalium

  • assegai — 1. noun /ˈasəɡʌɪ/ a) A slim hardwood spear or javelin with an iron tip, especially those used by Bantu peoples of Southern Africa. Native mats covered the clay walls; a collection of spears, assegais, shields, knives was hung up in trophies. b)… …   Wiktionary

  • Assegai — Assagai As sa*gai, Assegai As se*gai, n. [Pg. azagaia, Sp. azagaya, fr. a Berber word. Cf. {Lancegay}.] A spear used by tribes in South Africa as a missile and for stabbing, a kind of light javelin. [1913 Webster] || …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • assegai — or assagai noun Etymology: ultimately from Arabic al zaghāya the assegai, from al the + Berber zaghāya spear Date: 1600 a slender hardwood spear or light javelin usually tipped with iron and used in southern Africa …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • assegai — [ asəgʌɪ] (also assagai) noun (plural assegais) 1》 a slender iron tipped hardwood spear used chiefly by southern African peoples. 2》 (also assegai wood) a South African tree of the dogwood family, yielding a hard wood. [Curtisia dentata.] Origin… …   English new terms dictionary

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