calzephyr: Scott Pilgrim generator (Default)
calzephyr ([personal profile] calzephyr) wrote in [community profile] 1word1day2023-02-15 09:52 am
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Wednesday Word: Arblest

Arbalest - noun.

Soooooo I may have been playing too much Pillars of Eternity, which is an interesting source of real and fabricated words. My main character's favourite weapon is an arbalest, which is a type of crossbow used in the 12th century. True to detail, my little person takes a shot and then cranks the cranequin to reload the weapon. Apparently arbalests could deliver a walloping blow--up to 2,200 kilograms-force!

The origin of the word is also interesting--originating from the Roman arcuballista (arcus=bow, ballista=missile-throwing engine).


Arbalest (PSF).png
By Pearson Scott Foresman - This file has been extracted from another file, Public Domain, Link