ðeɪ wɜːɹ ɐdˈɑːptᵻd ɪnðə twˈɛlfθ sˈɛntʃɚɹi ɪn ɹᵻspˈɑːns tə kəndˈɪʃənz ʌv kæmpˈeɪnɪŋ ɪnðə kɹuːsˈeɪdz, wˌɛɹ lˈoʊkəl ˈɑːɹmiz ɛmplˈɔɪd ˈɑːɹtʃɚz, bˈoʊθ ˌɔn fˈʊt ænd hˈɔːɹs, ɪn lˈɑːɹdʒ kwˈɔntᵻɾiz.
They were adopted in the twelfth century in response to conditions of campaigning in the Crusades, where local armies employed archers, both on foot and horse, in large quantities.