baesta

See also: bästa

Old Galician-Portuguese

Alternative forms

Etymology

Inherited from Latin balista, from Ancient Greek βαλλίστρα (ballístra). Cognate with Old Spanish ballesta.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /baˈes.ta/
  • Rhymes: -esta
  • Hyphenation: ba‧es‧ta

Noun

baesta f (plural baestas)

  1. crossbow
    • a. 1284, Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, Códice de los músicos, cantiga 154 (facsimile):
      Como un tafur tirou con hũa baeſta hũa seeta cõtra o ceo con ſanna p̈ q̇ pdera. p̃ q̃ cuidaua q̇ firia a deos o.ſ.M̃.
      How a gambler shot, with a crossbow, a bolt at the sky, wrathful because he had lost. Because he wanted it to wound God or Holy Mary.
    • 1295, R. Lorenzo, editor, La traducción gallega de la Crónica General y de la Crónica de Castilla, Ourense: I.E.O.P.F., page 17:
      et da Torre do Ouro esso meesmo, cõ tra[bu]quetes que y tĩjnã, que os aqueixauã ademays, et cõ beestas de torno et de outras muytas maneyras
      And the same from the Torre del Oro [a castle in Seville]: they were attacking them with little catapults and winched crossbows, and in many other ways

Descendants

  • Galician: bésta, bestra
  • Portuguese: besta

References