Assegais

/ˈæsɪɡaɪz/ noun

Definition

Plural form of assegai; multiple spears or javelins used as weapons, particularly by Zulu and other African warriors.

Etymology

From assegai (singular), which comes from Portuguese 'azagaia' borrowed from Zulu 'umkhonto', ultimately from Arabic 'az-zagāyah'.

Kelly Says

The assegai was so integral to Zulu military culture that Shaka revolutionized warfare by shortening it and training soldiers in close-combat tactics, essentially creating the modern bayonet concept centuries before Europeans.

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