bâton de commandement

[ French bah-tawn duh kaw-mahn-duh-mahn ]

noun

, plural bâ·tons de com·man·de·ment [bah-taw, n, d, uh, kaw-mah, n, -d, uh, -, mahn].

1. an Upper Paleolithic instrument possibly used as a shaft straightener, often made from the main beam of an antler and having one or more perforations through which a shaft could pass.

bâton de commandement

/ bɑtɔ̃ də kɔmɑ̃dmɑ̃ /

noun

1. an antler object found in Upper Palaeolithic sites from the Aurignacian period onwards, consisting of a rod, often ornately decorated, with a hole through the thicker end

Word History and Origins

Origin of bâton de commandement¹

First recorded in 1810–20 in the nautical sense “ensign staff at the mast head”; current sense dates from 1890–95; from French: literally, “staff of command”; so called because the instrument was originally thought to function as a sign of authority

Word History and Origins

Origin of bâton de commandement¹

literally: baton of command, although the object was probably actually used in making shafts for arrows and spears