He who knows most, doubts most. — Jerónimo de Carranza
Dedicated to researching historical Spanish fencing and sharing the knowledge with the public.
the Destreza Glossary
Alabarda
Halberd
Dictionary: Covarrubias, Tesoro de la lengua castellana o española,
1611 with 1674 additions
Alabarda. Arma enhastada de punta para picar y cuchilla para cortar. Tomaron
el nombre de los que primero la usaron, que son los alabeses, a los de
Albania; como se dixeron las partesanas de los partos y los chuçones,
o çuiçones, de los çuiços, dardos de los de
Dardania, etc. La guarda de a pie del Rey nuestro señor, usa traer
esta arma, y por esso los llaman alabarderos. Erasmo llama al alabarda
telum aparitorum. En latín se llama la alabarda securis
romana falx militaris, falx belica, vel amaconia securis. Los lítores
las trayan atadas en ellas las varas con que açotavan, y si no
eran tan largas como las que agora se usan, devían ser poco menos,
y los alabeses las devieron de poner mayores hastas y anadirles el punçón.
Halberd. Shafted weapon with a spike to thrust and a blade to cut. They took the name from those who first used it, they are Alaveses to those from Albania [possibly intended to say Alava, a Basque province]; as they were called partesanas by the Parthians and chuzones or suizones by the Swiss, dardos by those from Dardania, etc. The footguard of the King our lord carries this weapon and because of this they are called halberdiers. Erasmo calls the halberd telum aparitorum. In Latin the halberd is called securis romana falx militaris, falx belica, vel amaconia securis. The litores carry them tied on them the bars with which they azotaban and if they were not as long as those that we now use, they would have been little less, and the Alavese must have put longer poles on them and added the piercer to them.
Dictionary: Academia Autoridades (A-B), 1726
Alabarda. s.f. Arma ofensiva, compuesta de un hafta de seis à siete
pies, en la qual está fixo un hierro de dos palmos de largo, y
ancho como de dos dedos en diminución proporcionalmente, hasta
rematar en punta. La cuchilla, que es plana, y de dos filos, y guarnecida
por la parte donde empieza, tiene una punta aguda en el un lado, à
que corresponde por el otro un creciente de luna, ò media luna,
cuyas puntas miran afuera. Covarr. dice que tomó el nombre de los
que priméro la usaron, que fueron los Alabéses; pero parece
mas verisimil que sea la misma voz Teutónica Hellebard, que significa
arma de las guárdias de Palácio, lo que conviéne
enteramente al uso que se ha hecho de esta arma en España, donde
ha sido la insignia, y ha dado el nombre à una de las guardias
del Rey, que se llama de Alabardéros. Y aunque atendiendo à
este origen debiera escribirse con b, el uso comun de los Autóres,
y Diccionarios ha establecido se excuse. Lat. Hafta duplici armata
ferro, vel hafta securiclata. Marm. Rebel. lib.5. cap.26. Los otros
iban armadas con lanzas, alabardas, espádas, y rodélas.
Cerv. Quix. tom.2.cap.24. Y dando varazos à un macho, que venía
cargado de lanzas, y de alabardas. Salaz. Obr. Posth. fol.238.
“Y que tratar de arcabuces, / de mosquétes y halberds
/ de bileras y de esquadrones / es boberia tamaña."
Halberd. n.f. Offensive weapon composed of a shaft of six to seven feet on which is fixed a spike two handspans in length and as wide as two fingers in proportional diminuition until ending in a point. The blade that is flat, double-edged, and guarnecida along the part where it begins has a narrow point on one side, to which corresponds on the other side a crescent moon, or half moon, whose points face to the outside. Covarr. says that it took its name from those that first used it who were the Alavese1; but it seems more plausible that it is the same Teutonic word Hellebard, that means weapon of the Palace guard, which agrees completely with the use that has been made of this weapon in Spain, where it has been the insignia, and it has given its name to one of the King’s guards, that is called the Halberdiers. And even though according to this origin it should be spelled with “b”, the common use of the Authors and Dictionaries has established se excuse [ck spelling]. Lat. Hafta duplici armata ferro, vel hafta securiclata. Marm. Rebel. lib.5. cap.26. The others went armed with lances, halberds, swords, and shields. Cerv. Quix. tom.2.cap.24. And hitting with a stick a boy, that came loaded down with lances and halberds. Salaz. Obr. Posth. fol.238. “And that which deals with harquebuses2, / with muskets and halberds / with bileras3 and with squadrons / is such a stupidity.
1 Alavese are Basques from the region of Araba (or Álava in Spanish) in Northern Spain.
2 Harquebus, or arquebus. "1. The early type of portable gun, varying in size from a small cannon to a musket, which on account of its weight was, when used in the field, supported upon a tripod, trestle, or other ‘carriage’, and afterwards upon a forked ‘rest’. The name in German and Flemish meant literally ‘hook-gun’, from the hook cast along with the piece, by which it was fastened to the ‘carriage’; but the name became generic for portable fire-arms generally in the 16th century, so that the type with the hook was subsequently distinguished as arquebuse à croc: see 2.
According to Wendelin Boeheim, Handbuch der Waffenkunde (Leipzig 1890) 447, 455, the hook of the original hakenbühse was intended to hold on to a wall or other fixed object, partly to support the weight of the barrel and partly to diminish the recoil. Maximilian I (early 16th cent.) introduced the portable tripod which could be put together in the field. The forked rest came in about 1520, with the Spanish musket." ("harquebus, arquebus." Oxford English Dictionary Online. 01 May 2005. <http://dictionary.oed.com/>)
3 "Bileras" might be a Basque word. A modern translation would be "associations."
Alabarda. Es tambien el arma que lleva por insignia el Sargento en la Infantería. Lat. Instructoris militaris insigne. Sold. Pind. fol.93. Ofreciendole si lo executaba darle la alabarda de su Compañía.
Halberd. It is also the weapon that the Sergeant of the Infantry carries as his insignia. Lat. Instructoris militaris insigne. Sold. Pind. fol.93. Offering to give him the halberd of his Company if he did it.
Dictionary: Minsheu 1599 (Spanish-English)
Alabárda [f.] = a halbert. [Alternate spelling: Alavárda]
* Alabardéro [m.] = a halberdier, a yeoman of the guard.
* Alabardázo, [m.] a blow or stroke with a halbert.
Dictionary: Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (online):
Halberd: Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French hallebarde,
from Middle High German helmbarte, from helm handle
(from Old High German helmo) + barte ax, from Old High
German barta; akin to Old High German bart beard. Date:
15th century. a weapon especially of the 15th and 16th centuries consisting
typically of a battle-ax and pike mounted on a handle about six feet long.
Dictionary: Oxford English Dictionary (online): (01
May 2005)
Halberd, halbert, n.
1. A military weapon, especially in use during the 15th and 16th centuries;
a kind of combination of spear and battle-axe, consisting of a sharp-edged
blade ending in a point, and a spear-head, mounted on a handle five to
seven feet long.
b. As denoting the rank of a sergeant.
2. transf. A soldier armed with a halberd; a halberdier. Obs.
