Mangonel

MANGONEL


It has many forms: mangonele, mangenel, mangunel, mangenele, mangurnele,
mangnel, maungenele, mangonelle, mangonell, manchonel, manganel, mangonel,
magnel, magnale, magnelle, maggenell, magonneaul, mayelle, magonel, magonell,
mangole, mangonneau, manganella, mangona, mangonnum, mangon-em --

then there's the Greek magganon -- all meaning, quite singularly:
"an engine of war." The OED traces the first usage
back to "Mangunell," 1194. So many many engines " ...for
casting stones

and other missiles..." One wonders what the feminine form
was used for. So many words, now useless --
just as silo-ed missiles outdate, become useless before a decade
is out. If

only we could get men concentrated again
on piling stones, Obelisks, Pillars, Towers, encourage them to play
with their "engines [sic] of generation,"
leave death and destruction to gentle Lethe.

Jan Haag