Actually, I believe it is pronounced as Pee Lum. The name comes from the Roman spear of the same name. It was a javelin with a soft metal shank with a wooden shaft. When it was thrown, it would stick into a shield, but the shaft would bend and it could not be thrown back and used against the Romans. It rendered the shield that blocked it useless because you had a big ass javelin hanging from the front of it! A use and toss weapon like the LAW was.