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)

1. (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 (ʕarrāda)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 弩炮 (zh) (nǔ pào)

• Czech: balista f
• Finnish: ballista (fi)
• French: baliste (fr) m, malvesine (fr) f
• 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

See also

• catapult

Finnish

Etymology

< Latin

Pronunciation

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

Noun

ballista

1. 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
	gen.	ballistan
genitive		ballistan	ballistojen ballistainrare
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
abessive		ballistatta	ballistoitta
instructive		—	ballistoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of ballista (Kotus type 9/kala, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative ballistani ballistani accusative nom. ballistani ballistani gen. ballistani genitive ballistani ballistojeni ballistainirare partitive ballistaani ballistojani inessive ballistassani ballistoissani elative ballistastani ballistoistani illative ballistaani ballistoihini adessive ballistallani ballistoillani ablative ballistaltani ballistoiltani allative ballistalleni ballistoilleni essive ballistanani ballistoinani translative ballistakseni ballistoikseni abessive ballistattani ballistoittani instructive — — comitative — ballistoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative ballistasi ballistasi accusative nom. ballistasi ballistasi gen. ballistasi genitive ballistasi ballistojesi ballistaisirare partitive ballistaasi ballistojasi inessive ballistassasi ballistoissasi elative ballistastasi ballistoistasi illative ballistaasi ballistoihisi adessive ballistallasi ballistoillasi ablative ballistaltasi ballistoiltasi allative ballistallesi ballistoillesi essive ballistanasi ballistoinasi translative ballistaksesi ballistoiksesi abessive ballistattasi ballistoittasi instructive — — comitative — ballistoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative ballistamme ballistamme accusative nom. ballistamme ballistamme gen. ballistamme genitive ballistamme ballistojemme ballistaimmerare partitive ballistaamme ballistojamme inessive ballistassamme ballistoissamme elative ballistastamme ballistoistamme illative ballistaamme ballistoihimme adessive ballistallamme ballistoillamme ablative ballistaltamme ballistoiltamme allative ballistallemme ballistoillemme essive ballistanamme ballistoinamme translative ballistaksemme ballistoiksemme abessive ballistattamme ballistoittamme instructive — — comitative — ballistoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative ballistanne ballistanne accusative nom. ballistanne ballistanne gen. ballistanne genitive ballistanne ballistojenne ballistainnerare partitive ballistaanne ballistojanne inessive ballistassanne ballistoissanne elative ballistastanne ballistoistanne illative ballistaanne ballistoihinne adessive ballistallanne ballistoillanne ablative ballistaltanne ballistoiltanne allative ballistallenne ballistoillenne essive ballistananne ballistoinanne translative ballistaksenne ballistoiksenne abessive ballistattanne ballistoittanne instructive — — comitative — ballistoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative ballistansa ballistansa accusative nom. ballistansa ballistansa gen. ballistansa genitive ballistansa ballistojensa ballistainsarare partitive ballistaansa ballistojaan ballistojansa inessive ballistassaan ballistassansa ballistoissaan ballistoissansa elative ballistastaan ballistastansa ballistoistaan ballistoistansa illative ballistaansa ballistoihinsa adessive ballistallaan ballistallansa ballistoillaan ballistoillansa ablative ballistaltaan ballistaltansa ballistoiltaan ballistoiltansa allative ballistalleen ballistallensa ballistoilleen ballistoillensa essive ballistanaan ballistanansa ballistoinaan ballistoinansa translative ballistakseen ballistaksensa ballistoikseen ballistoiksensa abessive ballistattaan ballistattansa ballistoittaan ballistoittansa instructive — — comitative — ballistoineen ballistoinensa

See also

• varsijousi
• ballista on the Finnish Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^fi

Latin

Alternative forms

• balista
• ballistra

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /balˈlis.ta/, [bälˈlʲɪs̠t̪ä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /balˈlis.ta/, [bälˈlist̪ä]
• Homophone: Ballista

Noun

ballista f (genitive ballistae); first declension

1. 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

Descendants of ballista in other languages

• Asturian: ballesta
• Catalan: ballesta
• → Czech: balista
• → English: ballista
• → Finnish: ballista
• French: baliste
• Galician: bestra
• ⇒ Galician: balistrón, balastrón
• Italian: balista, balestra
  • → Portuguese: balestra
• Old Galician-Portuguese: baesta
  • Galician: bésta
  • Portuguese: besta
• Old Spanish: ballesta
  • Spanish: ballesta
• Sicilian: balistra, balestra
• → Polish: balista
• → Portuguese: balista
• → Romanian: balistă
• → Russian: балли́ста (ballísta)
• → Spanish: balista
• → Swedish: ballista

See also

• catapulta
• onager

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

1. 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)