Cat/Sow/Weasel
Spanish translation: Gata/trépano (= ariete puntiagudo cubierto)
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| 11:37 Feb 15, 2024 |
| English to Spanish translations [PRO] Art/Literary - Military / Defense | |||||||
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|  Selected response from: Toni Castano Spain Local time: 00:06 | ||||||
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| 4 | Gata/trépano (= ariete puntiagudo cubierto) |
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| Gata (Barbizellum) |
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| Discussion entries: 1 | |
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Answers
10 hrs confidence: 
| cat/sow/weasel Gata/trépano (= ariete puntiagudo cubierto) Explanation: En primer lugar, por lo que he podido averiguar, “cat” y “sow” son dispositivos ofensivos idénticos para sitios, ambos términos son sinónimos (primer enlace), con lo que la consulta se restringe ahora a la distinción entre “cat/sow” y “weasel”. Si la traducción de “cat/sow” es “gata” en español, algo sobre lo que no tengo dudas, la traducción de “weasel” me genera más dudas. Las fuentes que he consultado apuntan a una estructura cubierta provista con un “spike rather than a paw to attack castle walls”, es decir, el “weasel” sería una especie de “battering ram” y disponía de un ariete puntiagudo, no romo (la famosa cabeza de carnero), de embestida. Pero es importante añadir que no se trataba de un simple ariete, sino de una estructura cubierta (de madera), dentro de la cual iba el ariete de embestida manejado por los atacantes. En cualquier caso, el “weasel” entra dentro de la categoría de máquinas de golpeo (“rams”), eso era lo que hacía el ariete puntiagudo. Y el término histórico en español es “trépano”, es decir, un “ariete puntiagudo con estructura cubierta”. -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 10 hrs (2024-02-15 21:40:26 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- Veamos las definiciones en inglés: https://www.timeref.com/castles/castsiege.htm Medieval Siege Tactics The Battering Ram The battering ram was used to destroy the gates or walls of a castle. It would be hidden under a wooden roof to protect the men who controlled it and mounted on wheels so that it could be moved into position. (…) The Cat The cat or sow was a wooden shed mounted on wheels. It had a wooden roof angled so that missiles would bounce off and was covered in animal hides to protect it from fire. The cat would be moved up to the castle with men inside safe from attack from the castles walls. This siege machine was used when a section of the moat needed filling in so that a siege tower could be moved into position. It could also be moved right up to the castle so that the men inside could hack away at the walls in an attempt to weaken them. -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 10 hrs (2024-02-15 21:41:17 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- https://www.midi-france.info/medievalwarfare/121346_rams.htm The Cat A Cat was a wooden structure built (or moved) up to a defensive wall. From surviving documents it seems that an arm could manipulated to claw away at the castle wall - hence the name. Cats could be large multi-purpose structures, perhaps with a trebuchet on top and sappers operating from the protected interior. Cats were much feared and if they possibly could, castle defenders would try to destroy them by mounting sorties, by using stone throwing engines, or by setting fire to them. (…) The Weasel A weasel was a similar sort of structure to a cat, but smaller and lighter. It seems to have been more manoeuverable and used a spike rather than a paw to attack castle walls. It may have taken its name from its business end looking like a weasel's note, or perhaps its long thin body, or both. -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 10 hrs (2024-02-15 21:43:48 GMT) -------------------------------------------------- Y esta es la fuente clave donde encontré un término que resulta ya casi desconocido en su acepción histórica (por “trépano” se entiende actualmente algo distinto). Diccionario histórico de la lengua española https://www.rae.es/dhle/trépano Trépano Máquina bélica de asedio usada para derribar murallas, consistente en una estructura de madera cubierta con pieles sin curtir, generalmente con ruedas, que lleva en el centro, a media altura, un canal por el que se desplaza una viga acabada en una punta de hierro. Sinónimos: taladro, terebra -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 10 days (2024-02-26 09:22:25 GMT) Post-grading -------------------------------------------------- Me alegra haber sido útil. Para consultas de esta naturaleza sobre términos históricos siempre es provechoso recurrir al Diccionario histórico de la lengua española, un recurso excepcional, q -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 10 days (2024-02-26 09:23:04 GMT) Post-grading -------------------------------------------------- (...) que ha demostrado su eficacia también en esta ocasión con la definición de "trépano". |
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Reference comments
8 hrs |
| Reference: Gata (Barbizellum) Reference information: Te dejo un enlace que puede ayudar. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbizellum |
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