Where does “bésta” come from?
bésta (Galician) comes from Old Portuguese baesta, from Latin ballista, from Ancient Greek βαλλίστρα, from Ancient Greek βάλλω, from Proto-Hellenic *gʷəlnō.
bésta (Galician): crossbow; hock
Ancestry of “bésta”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Portuguese | baesta | crossbow |
| 2 | Latin | ballista | ballista |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | βαλλίστρα | — |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | βάλλω | I throw, cast, hurl; I let fall; I strike, touch |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | *gʷəlnō | — |