Re: OT: Re: Dictionary

Subject: Re: OT: Re: Dictionary
From: Isaac Rabinovitch <isaacr -at- mailsnare -dot- net>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2003 11:17:11 -0800




John Cornellier wrote:

Dick wrote:


So is "port" in this case just a cognate of "bord"?


No, but the etymology is obscure. Theory is, since the rudder was on the right, ships tied up on the left. But I think that's conjectural.

What's obscure? "Port" and "larboard" (loading side) obviously mean the same thing. I've read official stuff from late 19th-century navies ordering people to say "port" instead of "larboard". The rationale was that on a steam ship, where there's lots of mechanical noise, it's too easy to confuse "larboard" and "starboard".

I have to admit that I've totally overstated the degree to which the "steering board" mistake is in authoritative dictionaries. All the better ones have it right. A lot of hack dictionaries have the "obvious" explanation, and you see it a lot on sailing web sites.


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References:
Re: OT: Re: Dictionary: From: John Cornellier
Re: OT: Re: Dictionary: From: Dick Margulis

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