View source for Arbalest

{{Short description|Form of medieval crossbow}}
{{Redirect|Arbalist|a crossbowman|Arbalist (crossbowman)}}
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{{wikt|arbalest}}
[[File:Arbalest (PSF).png|thumb|[[Crossbowman]] cocking an arbalest using a [[cranequin]]]]
The '''arbalest''' (also '''arblast'''), a variation of the [[crossbow]], came into use in Europe around the 12th century.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=33HOEAAAQBAJ&dq=prod+arbalest&pg=PT315 | title=Tools of War: History of Weapons in Ancient Times | isbn=978-93-86834-12-6 | last1=Ramsey | first1=Syed | date=September 2016 | publisher=Vij Books India Pvt }}</ref>
The arbalest was a large weapon with a steel prod, or bow assembly. Since the arbalest was much larger than earlier crossbows, and because of the greater [[tensile strength]] of steel, it had a greater force. The greater [[draw weight]] was offset by a shorter draw length, which limited the total potential energy that could be transferred into the [[crossbow bolt]]. A skilled arbalestier (arbalester) could loose two bolts per minute.<ref>{{Cite web|url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMoL_SBD6gw|title = Heavy Medieval 1250lbs Windlass Crossbow - TESTED in Slo-Mo|website = [[YouTube]]}}</ref>

== Nomenclature ==
The term "arbalest" is sometimes used interchangeably with "crossbow". ''Arbalest'' is a [[Old French|Medieval French]] word originating from the Roman name ''{{lang|la|arcuballista}}'' (from ''{{lang|la|arcus}}'' 'bow' + ''{{lang|la|[[ballista]]}}'' 'missile-throwing engine'),<ref>{{OED|arbalest}} (arbalist, arblast)</ref> which was then used for crossbows, although originally used for types of [[artillery]]. 

[[French language|Modern French]] uses the word ''{{lang|fr|arbalète}}'', which is linguistically one step further from the stem, due to the disappearance of the ''s'' [[phoneme]] in the last syllable. This form of the word applies to both crossbows and arbalests (the latter may be referred to as a ''heavy crossbow'', but an actual heavy crossbow may not be the same as an arbalest).

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book | last = Tanner  | first = Norman P.  | year = 1990  | title = Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils  | volume = 1  | quote = Nicaea 1 to Lateran V  | location = London / Washington, D.C.  | publisher = Sheed & Ward. Georgetown University Press | isbn =0-87840-490-2}}.
* {{cite book | last =  Bellamy  | first = Alex J.  | year = 2006  | title = Just Wars: From Cicero to Iraq  | work = Polity  | page = 32 | publisher = Wiley | isbn =0-7456-3282-3}}

{{Archery|state=collapsed}}
{{Ancient mechanical artillery and hand-held missile weapons|state=collapsed}}
{{Medieval mechanical artillery and hand-held missile weapons|state=collapsed}}
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[[Category:Crossbows]]
[[Category:Medieval archery]]
[[Category:Weapons of Scotland]]