spere

Old English spere descended from Proto-Germanic *sperjaz, related to Old Norse spjór and Gothic spaiur. The Proto-Indo-European root *sper- meant to strew or scatter, related to sowing seeds — the throwing action was the shared metaphor. The spear was the first weapon designed specifically for ranged attack: a sharpened stick thrown or thrust, predating metal tools by hundreds of thousands of years.

The Schöningen spears, discovered in Germany in 1994, are 300,000–400,000 years old — eight wooden throwing spears made from spruce, between 1.8 and 2.5 meters long. They were found alongside the butchered remains of horses: hunters used them for large game. The spear made humans effective hunters of animals much larger than themselves.

The spear remained the primary weapon of ancient warfare across every civilization. Macedonian sarissa — at up to 6 meters the longest spear in the ancient world — was the technological basis of Alexander the Great's military success. Roman legions used the pilum, a weighted javelin designed to pierce shields and bend on impact, preventing reuse. The Greek hoplite's dory defined phalanx warfare.

Shakespeare's surname may derive from a Middle English phrase: 'shake spear' — a nickname for a vigorous fighter. Whether this is accurate etymology is disputed, but the connection of the English language's greatest writer to its oldest weapon has a certain satisfying quality.