June 17, 1914
Vocabulary of the Sea.
London "Tit-Bits" says: - Practically every recognized language has been called upon at some time to help in building up the vocabulary of the sea.
"Davy Jones," for instance, might be taken to refer to some dead and gone Welshman, but the name is derived from quite another source. One should speak of "Duffy Jonah’s locker," for that was the original, "Duffy" being the West Indian name for a spirit or ghost, and "Jonah" referring to the prophet.
Another expression gradually corrupted out of its original form is "dog watch." It was originally the "dodge watch," because it lasts only two hours, and was intended to insure that the same men shall not be on duty every day during the same hours.
The "jury-mast" has nothing in common with the 12 good men and tune," except its derivation from the same French word, "jour," meaning "one day." The jury mast is erected temporarily "for a day," just as the jury, in its legal sense, meant a tribunal summoned for a short time.
The "sheet anchor," the largest anchor carried by a ship, would really be the "shote anchor," and is so called because of its great weight, which allows it to shoot out in cases of emergency.
"Port" is a comparatively new expression. In the old days they used to refer to "larboard" and "starboard." :Starboard" has nothing in common with the twinkling stars of the heavens; it is derived from the Anglo-Saxon "steer-board" or "steerside." In Viking times the galleys were steered by an oar, which the helmsman held with his right hand. "Larboard’ was probably a corruption of "lowerboard," the larboard side being inferior to the other.
The word "admiral" is Arabic, springing from "emil el bach," or "lord of the sea." Captain" comes from the Latin "catput," but "mate" is Icelandic, and means "companion" or "equal," "Coxswain" had a curious origin. The "coxswain" was a man who pulled the last oar in the captain’s boat, which was described as the "cockboat." This in turn was a corruption of a small round boat found on the rivers Usk and Wye and known as a "coracle." Coxswain is there, fore a Welsh name.