The word yo-yo or yo-yo, since it can be written in both

ways, comes from Tagalog, the native language of the

Philippines, and means to return. Until 400 years ago, the
Filipinos used the yo-yo as a weapon. However, the origin of
this toy seems to be in China, although it was also known in
Greece at least 2,500 years ago. Hellenic artisans made it
out of wood, metal, or terracotta, and decorated each piece
with drawings of the gods. Some of these early yo-yos can
be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Around the year 1800, the toy was imported to Europe from
the East: the English baptized it as bandarole, perhaps or
the Prince of Wales's toy; and the French, l?emigrette or
incroyable. By the way, Emperor Napoleon used to
entertain himself with a yo-yo. In the last century, the toy
experienced moments of great popular fervor, to the point
of selling gold-plated yo-yos, such as the very expensive
Gold Fusion,