NAUTICAL TERMS
when the s-kipper used to shake the ship up into the wind's «ye to rsset or trim her sails. Finally, the expression "Make and mend," refers to time aboard siiip when the men have no work and set themselves to make and mend their clothes.
THEIR QUEER ORIGINS USED IN ANCIENT TIMES Among seamen of both Naval and Mercantile Marine, manynautical terms are used of which, the origin is but dimly known. ''Starboard," for example, has nothing to do with the star, but isderived from an .old Anglo-Saxon term,, "steor board," meaning "steer side, '" and used in the days of the old galleys "when they were steered by an oar fixed to the right side of the stern. v In a similar way, "larboard" probably meant "lower board," or "lower side" of the ship, and was unimportant compared with the starboard. The title "Admiral," the highest rank of the Navy, is not an English term at all, but is derived from the Arabic, "Emir el Baugh„" meaning "'Lord of the Sea." "Captain" is not a British word in origin, but comes from the Latin "Caput." meaning a head, or leader. "Commodore" comes from the Italian "Commendatore."
The nautical term "Coxswain," cut short in these days to "Cox," is quile familiar, but few know its origin. In olden days the coxswain, was the man who. pulled the .after oar of the captain's boat, known at that time as the "cock boat."
"What is the origin of do& watch?" asks the curious traveller of an old salt. The seaman will think a minute before giving Ms answe-r, for ."dog watch" is short for "dodge watch," meaning a watch: to save the men from being always on duty at Ihe same hour. This.
watch is most important as it re-« lieves the monotonous round of thesame duty for weelis on end.
The sailor's call, "Ahoy!" was ctice the war cry af the Vikings. ,
We often hear the exprcseuwm "A; . brace of slakes," but how many of us know JiKHv' .it originated? It i"» . an thg* saiimg . ship days (CoHtinued foot of;previous columivl .
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Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 264, 29 January 1941, Page 5
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351NAUTICAL TERMS Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 264, 29 January 1941, Page 5
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