From ivory discs and chipped stones

G. V. JOSHI

Invented in China about 3,000 years ago, it was originally made from two ivory discs and a silk thread. The yo-yo was popular with the children in ancient China and also in ancient Greece.

Today, the yo-yo consists of two round discs, about 1.3 cm thick and five cm in diameter glued together, and in the middle there is twine to allow for a drop of 60-90 cm.

The word "yo-yo" comes from Tagalog, a language spoken in the Philippines. It means, "come back". In the 16th century, the hunters in the Philippines Islands used the yo-yo for hunting as well as for fighting.

They made it out of chipped stones and a long leather cord. A hunter or warrior would sit hidden in a tree and use it to strike his prey or an enemy passing below.

It was probably brought to Europe in the 14th century from where it went to the U.S. In England it was known as "Quiz". In France it was called "Bandalore".

The European yo-yos were richly decorated with jewels and had geometrical patterns painted on them, so that while bobbing up and down it created a mesmerising effect. It was modified in the U.S. by a manufacturer named Donald Duncan in 1920.

A typical yo-yo can spin for 10-15 seconds. In the hands of experts, it spins at nearly 125 revolutions or a little more per second.

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