besta

See also: bêsta, bestå, and bésta

Dutch

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

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Galician

bestas bravas ("wild horses") in Galicia

Etymology 1

From Old Galician and Old Portuguese besta, 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

   Synonym: egua

4. (figuratively) brute

   Synonym: bruto

Derived terms

• besta brava (“wild horse”)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛsta̝/

Noun

besta f (plural bestas)

1. Misspelling of bésta.

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 Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
• “besta” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

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Old Portuguese

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

Synonyms

• (beast): animalia, animalla

Descendants

• Galician: besta
• Portuguese: besta

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Portuguese

Etymology 1

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

Alternative forms

• bêsta (obsolete, noun only)

Pronunciation

Noun:

• (Portugal, Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈbeʃ.tɐ/

Verb:

• (Portugal, Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛʃ.tɐ/

• Hyphenation: bes‧ta

Noun

besta f (plural bestas)

1. beast (any large animal)
2. beast of burden (animal used to transport cargo)
3. ass (any of several species of horse-like animals)
4. (derogatory) fool; idiot (stupid person)
5. (euphemistic) the Beast; Satan
6. (by extension) a monster

Synonyms

• (beast): animal, bicho, vertebrado, quadrúpede, fera
• (beast of burden): besta-de-carga
• (ass): asno, burro, jumento
• (fool): tongo, burro, jumento, estúpido, idiota, bestalhão, paspalhão, tonto, abestado
• (Satan): Satã, demônio, Diabo, Satanás

Derived terms

• besta-de-carga
• besta-fera
• bestar
• besteira
• bestice
• bestidade
• bestificar

 

Related terms

• bestial
• bestialidade
• bestialização
• bestializado
• bestializar
• bestialogia
• bestialógico
• bestificação
• bestificado
• bestificante
• bicha
• bicho

 

Verb

besta

1. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present indicative of bestar
2. second-person singular (tu, sometimes used with você) affirmative imperative of bestar

Etymology 2

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

Pronunciation

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛʃ.tɐ/
• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛs.tɐ/, (nonstandard, but very common) /ˈbes.tɐ/

Noun

besta f (plural bestas)

1. crossbow (weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock)

Related terms

• balestra
• balista
• besteiro

See also

• arco, seta