ballista

See also: Ballista

English

Ballista, Circa 50 B.C.E.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin ballista, from Ancient Greek βαλλίστρα (ballístra), from βάλλω (bállō, “I throw”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /bəˈlɪstə/

Noun

ballista (plural ballistas or ballistae or ballistæ)

(weaponry, historical) An ancient military engine, in the form of a crossbow, used for hurling large missiles.

Translations

crossbow-like military engine for hurling large missiles

Arabic: عَرَّادَة‎ (ʿarrāda)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 弩炮 (zh) (nǔ pào)
Czech: balista f
Finnish: ballista (fi)
French: baliste (fr) m
Greek: βαλλίστρα (el) f (vallístra)
Ancient: βαλλίστρα f (ballístra)
Italian: balista (it) f
Latin: ballista f
Persian: خرکمان‎ (xarkamân), عراده‎ (fa) ('arrâde)
Polish: balista (pl) f
Portuguese: balista (pt) f
Russian: балли́ста (ru) f (ballísta)
Spanish: balista f
Turkish: balista

Finnish

Etymology

< Latin

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈbɑlːistɑ/, [ˈbɑlːis̠t̪ɑ]
Rhymes: -ɑlːistɑ
Syllabification^(key): bal‧lis‧ta

Noun

ballista

ballista (military engine)

Declension

Inflection of ballista (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)
nominative		ballista	ballistat
genitive		ballistan	ballistojen
partitive		ballistaa	ballistoja
illative		ballistaan	ballistoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		ballista	ballistat
accusative	nom.	ballista	ballistat
accusative	gen.	ballistan	ballistat
genitive		ballistan	ballistojen ballistain^rare
partitive		ballistaa	ballistoja
inessive		ballistassa	ballistoissa
elative		ballistasta	ballistoista
illative		ballistaan	ballistoihin
adessive		ballistalla	ballistoilla
ablative		ballistalta	ballistoilta
allative		ballistalle	ballistoille
essive		ballistana	ballistoina
translative		ballistaksi	ballistoiksi
instructive		—	ballistoin
abessive		ballistatta	ballistoitta
comitative		—	ballistoineen

Possessive forms of ballista (type kala)
possessor	singular	plural
1st person	ballistani	ballistamme
2nd person	ballistasi	ballistanne
3rd person	ballistansa

Latin

Alternative forms

balista
ballistra

Etymology

From Ancient Greek βαλλίστρα (ballístra), from βάλλω (bállō, “I throw”).

Pronunciation

(Classical) IPA^(key): /balˈlis.ta/, [bälˈlʲɪs̠t̪ä]

(Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /balˈlis.ta/, [bälˈlist̪ä]
Homophone: Ballista

Noun

ballista f (genitive ballistae); first declension

ballista

Declension

First-declension noun.

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	ballista	ballistae
Genitive	ballistae	ballistārum
Dative	ballistae	ballistīs
Accusative	ballistam	ballistās
Ablative	ballistā	ballistīs
Vocative	ballista	ballistae

Derived terms

arcuballista
ballistārius
ballistica
carroballista

Descendants

Asturian: ballesta
Catalan: ballesta
→ English: ballista
→ Finnish: ballista
French: baliste
Italian: balista, balestra
- Portuguese: balestra
Old Portuguese: baesta
- Galician: bésta
- Portuguese: besta
Old Spanish: ballesta
- Spanish: ballesta
→ Portuguese: balista
→ Romanian: balistă
→ Russian: балли́ста f (ballísta)

References

“ballista”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
“ballista”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
ballista in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
ballista in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette
“ballista”, in Harry Thurston Peck, editor (1898) Harper's Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, New York: Harper & Brothers
“ballista”, in William Smith et al., editor (1890) A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, London: William Wayte. G. E. Marindin

Swedish

Alternative forms

ballist (less common)

Noun

ballista c

a ballista

Declension

Declension of ballista
	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	ballista	ballistan	ballistor	ballistorna
Genitive	ballistas	ballistans	ballistors	ballistornas

References

ballista in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)