Re: An odd etymology

From: Anthony Appleyard
Message: 32854
Date: 2004-05-21

At 7:09:21 AM on Tuesday, May 18, 2004, tgpedersen wrote:
> One more thing about Greek <pelekus> "axe" etc: English
> has <pole-axe>, which has nothing to do with a pole.

Someone wrote:-
> Indeed; it's a 'head-axe' (<poll> 'crown of the head').

A pole-axe was called a "head-axe" because it was used to kill large
animals (e.g. cattle) by chopping it into their heads.