A pointed tool used for making small holes in leather, wood, or other materials, typically used in crafting or repairs.
From Old English 'æl' or 'awel,' from Proto-Germanic 'ailaz.' The tool's name has remained remarkably stable across Germanic languages (German 'Ahle'), suggesting its importance in ancient crafts like toolmaking and leatherworking.
The awl is one of humanity's oldest tools—archaeologists have found bone and stone versions in sites over 10,000 years old, and it appears in art and literature from virtually every culture that worked with leather or wood.
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