Hueglit
The hueglit (pl: hueglits), from Old French hueglit, huesglit, or by its Latin name, the hveuclithus (pl: hveuclithi), was a type of straight and long sword used by the Celts, primarily the Belgic tribes, that came to be used in the Roman military and the territories of the empire from the 1st century BC to the 6th century AD. It measured between 65 and 90 centimetres (29.5 and 39.4 in), and typically weighed 1.5 kilograms, with a handle length between 18 and 20 cm (7.1 and 7.9 in). Later swords, from the 7th to 10th centuries, like the Viking swords, are recognisable derivatives but due to claims of it descending from the spatha instead, it is sometimes subsumed under the term hueglo-spatha.
The Roman hveuclithus was used in war and gladiatorial fights. It appeared in the Roman Empire in the 1st century AD used by Celtic mounted auxiliaries and gradually became a standard cavalry and heavy infantry weapon by the 3rd century AD, relegating the gladius to use as a light infantry weapon. The hveuclithus and the spatha replaced the gladius in the front ranks, giving the infantry more reach to thrust. The infantry version had a long point and a diamond cross-section whilst versions carried by the cavalry had a classic or broad fuller cross-section and a rounded tip that prevented an accidental stabbing of the cavalryman's foot or horse. The infantry hveuclithus would fall in favour of the spatha but the cavalry hveuclithus would become the sole cavalry weapon during the Migration Period.
Name
Origin and spelling
The Greek historian Polybius first coined the term ϝʜɛυκλιθυ (hweuklithu), from Primitive Menapian hwɪuid, meaning to drive, and clėthʉ, meaning sword. Unlike Primitive Menapian, the /ɪu/-diphthong in hwɪuid did not exist in Ancient Greek and so the already existing /eu/-diphthong was favoured in its place. The same thing happened with the close central rounded vowel, /ʉ/, in clėthʉ which had to be written by its closest Greek counterpart, <υ> (IPA: /u/). <ė> in clėthʉ was pronounced something between /e/ and /i/, so the Ancient Greek spelling constantly flickered between hweuklithu and hweuklethu, but the latter declined in use. When it was transliterated into Latin, it became a second-declension noun with the ending <-us> due to it already ending with a <u>.
Descendants
The Greek historian Polybius first coined the term ϝʜɛυκλιθυ (hweuklithu), from Primitive Menapian hwɪuid, meaning to drive, and clėthʉ, meaning sword. Unlike Primitive Menapian, the /ɪu/-diphthong in hwɪuid did not exist in Ancient Greek and so the already existing /eu/-diphthong was favoured in its place. The same thing happened with the close central rounded vowel, /ʉ/, in clėthʉ which had to be written by its closest Greek counterpart, υ (IPA: /u/). <ė> in clėthʉ was pronounced something between /e/ and /i/, so the Ancient Greek spelling constantly flickered between hweuklithu and hweuklethu, but the latter declined in use. When it was transliterated into Latin, it became a second-declension noun with the ending ‘-us’ due to it already ending with ‘u’.