besta

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• Rhymes: -aː

besta

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

• baste, batse

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

• IPA^(key): /ˈbesta̝/

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

• (mare): egua
• (brute): bruto

• besta brava (“wild horse”)

• “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.

• bestia
• bescha

Probably borrowed from Latin bēstia (“beast”).

• IPA^(key): /ˈbes̺.ta/

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

• (beast): animalia, animalla

• Galician: besta
• Portuguese: besta

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

• bêsta (obsolete, noun only)

Noun:

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

Verb:

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

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

• (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

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

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

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

besta f (plural bestas)

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

• balestra
• balista
• besteiro

• arco, seta