besta

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aː

Verb

besta

1. first-person singular present indicative of bestaan
2. (archaic) singular present subjunctive of bestaan
3. imperative of bestaan

Anagrams

• baste, batse

Etymology

Inherited from Old Portuguese besta, probably borrowed from Latin bēstia (“beast”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbesta̝/

Noun

besta f (plural bestas)

1. beast (quadruped animal)
2. horse or any other equine
   • 1326, Antonio López Ferreiro (ed.), Galicia Histórica. Colección diplomática. Santiago: Tipografía Galaica, page 295:

     pelas bestas de caualgar et carrega

     for the animals [used] for riding or for carrying load

3. mare
4. (figuratively) brute

References

• “besta” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006-2012.
• “besta” in Xavier Varela Barreiro & Xavier Gómez Guinovart: Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval. SLI / Grupo TALG / ILG, 2006-2016.
• “besta” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006-2013.
• “besta” in Santamarina, Antón (coord.): Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.
• “besta” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

Alternative forms

• bestia
• bescha

Etymology

Probably borrowed from Latin bēstia (“beast”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbes̺.ta/

Noun

besta f

1. beast (a non-human animal, especially large vertebrate quadrupeds)
   • 13th century, attributed to Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, E codex, cantiga 124 (facsimile):

     aue nen beſta dele non comiu per ren.

     Neither bird nor beast would eat him for anything.

2. beast of burden, donkey
   • 13th century, attributed to Alfonso X of Castile, Cantigas de Santa Maria, E codex, cantiga 147 (facsimile):

     a beſtia de balaam

     Balaam's donkey

Etymology 1

From Old Portuguese besta, probably borrowed from Latin bēstia (“beast”). Doublet of bicha.

Etymology 2

From Old Portuguese baesta (“crossbow”), from Latin ballista, from Ancient Greek βαλλίστρα (ballístra). Not related to above meaning of Satan (folk etymology).