{"id":23051,"date":"2023-08-31T15:52:15","date_gmt":"2023-08-31T15:52:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/?p=23051"},"modified":"2025-08-07T12:09:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T12:09:11","slug":"sailing-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/?p=23051","title":{"rendered":"Sailing Away"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>While putting together a post on my Celtiadur blog about words for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2023\/08\/31\/boats-and-ships\/\">ships and boats<\/a> in Celtic languages, I realised that words for boats, ships and other nautical things in English come from many different languages. So I thought I\u2019d write a blog post about them.<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/omniglot\/35900507665\/in\/album-72157683287280214\/\" title=\"Laxey \/ Laksaa\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/4287\/35900507665_a08d064208_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" alt=\"Laxey \/ Laksaa\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The word <strong>boat<\/strong> comes from Middle English <em>bot<\/em> (boat, the path or course of one\u2019s life), from Old English <em>b\u0101t<\/em> (boat), from Proto-West Germanic <em>*bait<\/em>, from Proto-Germanic <em>*baitaz<\/em> (boat, small ship), from Proto-Indo-European <em>*b\u02b0eyd-<\/em> (to break, split) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/boat#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>The French word <strong>bateau<\/strong> (ship, boat), the Dutch word <strong>boot<\/strong> (boat), and the German word <strong>Boot<\/strong> (boat) were all borrowed from Middle or Old English.<\/p>\n<p>Words for boat in North Germanic languages, such as Swedish (<strong>b\u00e5t<\/strong>), Danish (<strong>b\u00e5d<\/strong>) and Icelandic (<strong>b\u00e1tur<\/strong>), were borrowed from Old Norse <em>b\u00e1tr<\/em>, which was borrowed from Old English <em>b\u0101t<\/em> (boat) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/b%C3%A1tr#Old_Norse\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Some words for boat in Irish (<strong>b\u00e1d<\/strong>), Scottish Gaelic (<strong>b\u00e0ta<\/strong>), Manx (<strong>baatey<\/strong>) and Welsh  (<strong>bad<\/strong>) were also borrowed from Old English or Old Norse [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/celtiadur\/2023\/08\/31\/boats-and-ships\/\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/kmortara4\/38251897705\/in\/photolist-21hbYvF-KgCmw-NfEzR-9U2n7v-22zk9aw-2AzAVJ-auMERR-XyaN4z-dzavLE-9yhLLr-5ghPEY-8kRvxu-3L5o7J-wR3ELZ-oQVP3Q-utjfB-McEL5t-8kRqPU-3FPHZo-PEJ5U1-k5yU2a-8fAdvY-zB1em-k5yZ9V-8nM9Xk-JWMJF-LWdZMp-29zjUJF-h1DS1x-2aXJoLT-TxFxVy-8kNbDr-gUAGEv-dy5CVk-h1yWDT-aQ4S3D-opJr1U-8kHTWL-pwJEUq-9hUfhP-qLNTGr-qCsFNo-ppwdkB-8kN6zr-h1zUUr-5rh4fW-8yNRa5-SsnXDa-qMdsjh-CSuTYg\" title=\"ship-13\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/4598\/38251897705_74bb75a004_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"ship-13\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The word <strong>ship<\/strong> comes from Middle English <em>schip<\/em> (ship, boat), from Old English <em>scip<\/em> (ship), from Proto-West Germanic <em>*ship<\/em> (ship), from Proto-Germanic <em>*skip\u0105<\/em> (ship), from unknown origins [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/ship#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ship<\/strong> can be used to refer to a water-borne vessel generally larger than a boat, while <strong>boat<\/strong> usually refers to vessels smaller than a ship but larger than a <strong>dinghy<\/strong>. <strong>Boat<\/strong> also refers to <strong>submarines<\/strong> of any size, and <strong>lakers<\/strong> (ships used in the Great Lakes trade in North America).<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/29689887@N04\/10484949434\/in\/photolist-gYw7bf-a83aFz-gYvAhj-gYrSVq-gYkx5A-gYmg6P-gYwtus-gYvQiz-gYrWa3-a866fs-gYwo96-s5UKws-gYs5yC-3kFx69-a864yq-5Zuw2C-gYx55t-FvmNv5-61kTdG-gYmP8A-a83hri-gYni8T-gYkvqT-gYrxjx-a86cnS-6m97Fb-MKCam9-gYnQsh-btt8rW-8gsfQW-gYmAUh-a83eXz-a7JBhi-a861j5-yA5sv2-a86aAj-gYkieP-kgn7F4-8ekTRG-gYjYbk-gYnUtT-gYo87u-btt8yS-a86bw1-u93vQf-hT4ju-gYnitp-8bpfUD-8P3Cud-6Csxim\" title=\"Dinghy Sailing\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/2819\/10484949434_69fc62fd95_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"374\" alt=\"Dinghy Sailing\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>A <strong>dinghy<\/strong> is a small open boat, propelled by oars or paddles, carried as a tender, lifeboat, or pleasure craft on a ship; a sailing dinghy, or an inflatable rubber life raft. It comes from Bengali <strong>\u09a1\u09bf\u0999\u09bf<\/strong> (\u1e0di\u1e45i &#8211; canoe), probably from Sanskrit <strong>\u0926\u094d\u0930\u094b\u0923<\/strong> (dro\u1e47a &#8211; wooden vessel, bucket, trough), Proto-Indo-Iranian <em>*dr\u00e1wnam<\/em> (wooden object), from Proto-Indo-European <em>*dr\u00e9w-no-m<\/em>, from <em>*d\u00f3ru<\/em> (tree, wood) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/dinghy#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/trevb\/2271249867\/in\/photolist-ALdGe9-7VYVhH-aEpxQ7-4sGKst-9vRWQA-gBxfX7-7W3qfS-7aHaNE-2ifBTM-2ik2PA-uDNcKz-2ik2ku-7W3Fch-7W3pwy-2ifBwz-7W3dij-2ifxWD-2ifBon-4sLNxS-5cYvML-2ifBtt-94nAw1-fAx8oP-9zcGwT-5hH487-2ik3Hj-9fdTTr-cH6LtN-3neGk-ayPKMZ-ayPNs4-ayPyL6-aySqFq-4Tqa7z-aySqVq-dJ8W3B-ayPyPZ-mPy5qS-rzczyL-cphxnq-rfXNBF-ayUKyX-r8zD5S-oxad31-cpjERy-aySpCb-mPwv7i-ayUKri-ayUJxH-ayPySB\" title=\"Untitled\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/2289\/2271249867_d63a738887_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"439\" alt=\"Untitled\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>A <strong>yacht<\/strong> is a sailing boat larger than a <strong>dinghy<\/strong> but smaller than a <strong>sailing ship<\/strong>, often with a cabin. It can also be a motor-powered private boat. It comes from <em>yeaghe<\/em> (light, fast sailing ship) from Dutch <strong>jacht<\/strong> (yacht, hunt), from <em>jaghtschip<\/em> (light sailing vessel, fast pirate ship: lit. \u201cpursuit ship\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>Apparently the original Dutch <em>jaghtschip<\/em> were built to chase pirates and smugglers from the coast. In 1660 the Dutch East India Company presented one to King Charles II, who used it as a pleasure boat. It was then copied by British shipbuilders as a pleasure craft for wealthy gentlemen [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/yacht#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/150202650@N03\/49998843182\/in\/photolist-2jbe99o-p6gY2M-2nDVHtg-2ihYbv3-2n5QhHj-JVc7q4-JVmB1b-dQF6vX-2jDWjQf-2k4RoUh-dQLDJG-QUTNd-oT4yAU-2gWBS5T-2gfXkhA-2ghmCbE-ULBhd1-cXc6bA-9Gp9eB-jQRwLy-VmPMjp-cXc37o-2gspsu8-9wiwX3-6ituTo-2h7PeVu-qmHaqc-ohcwLG-2h6Qyaw-ohXhVM-KCd5G4-pzzVA-aBwn7S-WQi9PA-oMZ7gC-2mjhQL1-2m5NyAd-AwyH9-WLqboB-btQMuV-Yfiu5o-HuK46k-4oUnnk-ojbZF9-2jJSQWk-Xuvrxc-f3BcT-24bRV4G-ojbGP3-cZ7am9\" title=\"Tall Ships 015 Gloriaa_C\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/65535\/49998843182_cdcb6e92ce_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"428\" alt=\"Tall Ships 015 Gloriaa_C\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Another type of  boat is a <strong>barque<\/strong>, which is a sailing vessel with three or more masts, with all masts but the sternmost square-rigged. It comes from Middle English <em>barke<\/em> (boat), from Middle French <em>barque<\/em>, from Latin <em>barca<\/em> (baris &#8211; a type of flat-bottomed freighter used on the Nile in Ancient Egypt), from Ancient Greek <em>\u03b2\u1fb6\u03c1\u03b9\u03c2<\/em> (b\u00e2ris &#8211; Egyptian boat), from Coptic <em>\u2c83\u2c81\u2c81\u2ca3\u2c89<\/em> (baare &#8211; small boat), from Demotic <em>br<\/em>, from Ancient Egyptian <em>b\ua723jr<\/em> (transport ship, type of fish) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/barque#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/timzim\/5007976703\/in\/photolist-8CxbZV-2dKk9ms-22MVVv-eedWCJ-ee8eS2-ee8eSr-J9pHG2-2osbHJ1-Sht7fU-2ogx5W7-2r1ZzN-5qjPn-DACwsQ-36NUD-phNd1b-8oUD2-2kinKwk-DACx7L-2hNULNN-2ihpHGd-fCeua1-TE24Yw-9oBvY-SSPtSK-T5EFDr-STaCge-2kS3NKo-2142QzX-2mH31HJ-SSPtxM-RQxJza-2ojBrDB-2avi83z-2hGnfZ3-RQEwcF-2iimHrT-2kV8axy-412Nn2-GUaBZe-azxRi-2kMCW1y-rXzV9Z-e7WWvL-kC4tu-Rf87RL-6uaSAU-7m5WQ1-aMYAGn-j5VHjW-NEQdS9\" title=\"Barge\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/4108\/5007976703_eebc5f35e6_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Barge\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The word <strong>barge<\/strong> (A large flat-bottomed towed or self-propelled boat used mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods or bulk cargo), comes from the same roots, as does the Spanish <strong>barco<\/strong> (boat), the Galician <strong>barco<\/strong> (ship, boat, barge) and the Portuguese <strong>barco<\/strong> (boat) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/barge#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/stillinthestream\/15167144318\/in\/photolist-p7gzAf-99Zk9x-io5KL-RTTk1J-86Uk91-a5PpcB-86R9Wa-86UjyU-qP6PdY-2GGni7-a7kz5N-99ZkHV-p7fZj1-J4ttyv-8jV6ca-o4Wifv-vKghHK-5T2ZVu-eAXd9-8Fak4E-6S3P16-nMK3jA-ossTrE-6S7DE9-vcSMDA-uH9Eaa-TrGwQH-czu7W9-9ySmCf-aM8toZ-oCPtT2-aM83JB-8Z2PQP-aMFSJa-nGpUqg-8sMFUJ-77hsVm-aM8qd6-JykGsi-cMATMw-Ey4fF-8NW9TY-98uACY-9Q3aHB-aM8reR-Tn3Y-9yPn46-aM8sm6-aMFHGV-iVJwb\" title=\"Green Canoe\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/3882\/15167144318_d2dc58e937_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"428\" alt=\"Green Canoe\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The word <strong>canoe<\/strong> (a small long and narrow boat, propelled by one or more people) comes from Spanish <strong>canoa<\/strong> (canoe), probably from Taino <em>*kanowa<\/em> (canoe), from Proto-Arawak <em>*kanawa<\/em> (caone) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/canoe#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/peter_chapman\/7868708054\/in\/photolist-cZkbLf-9uywdL-b7y5UT-d9EqLn-6RGeCU-4WtyRH-cWLRJo-cWM4Mu-cWLRQ5-cZPeGA-cWM1bE-cWMaud-cWLSa5-cWM4wN-cZPoWw-cWM63u-cWLXCG-yg53ir-2dd7chu-2mgTuKw-2nVPiac-2mwLgwa-2mfjEq6-2nsLWYo-auTJjz-2nVnKtP-2oRQsAB-2nPRnat-2dcpHym-2kcbYMC-2ebKx2F-2ieFRkK-TijLbC-25Wauu7-CyqdQA-2ki9Bf2-cWLVuh-58CTfB-EhVfxm-Msiv4D-5fUS3S-XmTbJ5-EGJdDL-5vQ5Xn-2oTmr93-6zTgGT-57rBRe-JFZTj6-nWKAst-7N2oKN\" title=\"Inuit kayak\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/7125\/7868708054_96f9cb6d21_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Inuit kayak\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong>Canoes<\/strong> are generally open on top, while <strong>kayaks<\/strong> are covered over except for the cockpit where the paddler sits. <strong>Kayak<\/strong> comes from Inuktitut <strong>\u1583\u152d\u1585<\/strong> (qayaq &#8211; kayak, man&#8217;s boat), from Proto-Eskimo <em>*qaya\u0281<\/em> (kayak) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/kayak#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p><a data-flickr-embed=\"true\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/georgechacon\/686457443\/in\/photolist-23EgTa-549AaY-2nFxXJm-2nFryah-87CQho-2k4vDDB-5C3tbf-o3MEu3-4MSBQR-6HcLwQ-6YusYx-dHgSD-dZJ18d-5DSP4m-7o22h6-fq2R5n-gaCRQD-oZ9AJV-oacJeK-vwmXgj-o4s7iH-7o22pR-4MWNfw-7JnXf2-2fBW2pF-5wT2CB-VKTX8h-fJB2uK-FuMfTj-GXuAfB-5sWwzP-2emcyVk-2jyEAhi-2oLdXNg-ogf9Ax-2nMgziS-9Trimy-2jB38kk-5tmKSf-2jB38uU-9TrgVy-9TosnM-9ToqRv-5tmLfQ-8G7KPD-bwmuiq-bx1Rzz-2gxYqj1-GY7txL-fCreSr\" title=\"Umiak\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/1011\/686457443_3aeec482cc_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"428\" alt=\"Umiak\"\/><\/a><script async src=\"\/\/embedr.flickr.com\/assets\/client-code.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>If <strong>kayaks<\/strong> are men\u2019s boats, are there women\u2019s boats as well? There are &#8211; they are the <strong>umiak<\/strong> (a large, open boat made of skins stretched over a wooden frame that is propelled by paddles), from  Inuvialuktun <strong>\u1405\u14a5\u140a\u1585<\/strong> (umiaq &#8211; women&#8217;s boat) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/umiak#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>Incidentally, <strong>navy<\/strong> (a country&#8217;s entire sea force, including ships and personnel) comes from Middle English <em>nave<\/em> (navy), navye, from Old French <em>navie<\/em> (navy), from Latin <em>n\u0101vigia<\/em>, from <em>n\u0101vigium<\/em> (vessel, ship boat, from <em>n\u0101vis<\/em> (ship, boat, vessel), from Proto-Indo-European <em>*n\u00e9h\u2082us<\/em> (boat). In Old English navy was <em>sciphere<\/em> (&#8220;ship army&#8221;) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/navy#English\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n<p>English words from the same roots include <strong>navigate<\/strong>, <strong>nave<\/strong>, <strong>nautical<\/strong> and <strong>astronaut<\/strong> (lit. \u201cstar sailor\u201d) [<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wiktionary.org\/wiki\/Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European\/n%C3%A9h%E2%82%82us\">source<\/a>].<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While putting together a post on my Celtiadur blog about words for ships and boats in Celtic languages, I realised that words for boats, ships and other nautical things in English come from many different languages. So I thought I\u2019d write a blog post about them. The word boat comes from Middle English bot (boat, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[179,186,100,102,104,113,116,126,127,10,15,23,182,26,27,33,36,41,44,45,202,53,56,64,189,77,78],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23051","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ancient-greek-","category-bengali-","category-danish","category-dutch","category-english","category-galician","category-german","category-inuktitut","category-irish","category-language","category-latin","category-manx","category-middle-dutch-dietsc-duutsch","category-middle-english","category-middle-french","category-old-english-aenglisc","category-old-norse","category-portuguese","category-proto-germanic","category-proto-indo-european","category-proto-west-germanic","category-sanskrit","category-scottish-gaelic","category-spanish","category-taino","category-welsh","category-words-and-phrases"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23051","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23051"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24149,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23051\/revisions\/24149"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.omniglot.com\/bloggle\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}