ORIGIN OF SEA TERMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 171, 21 July 1928, Page 11 (Supplement)

ORIGIN OF SEA TERMS.

TAKEN FROM MANY NATIONS. J at tlie annual dinner of the Master Mariners' Company in London on Ma roll 21. Mr. Baldwin, the Prime Minister, referring to the origin of words 111 common use among British niarirers. The word "anchor" came to England from tlie Romans via the Angles and the Saxons. The Vikings came along to waken them up. and they left behind WordT like ''keel/' "reef," "stern," ind Ifce "wake'" of a ship, which was the phrase used for the track through the in -when the Vikings' ship travelled from Norway to Greenland. From the Byzantine Greeks our sailors brought back the word "pilot," which took the place of Vho Old English word "lodessnan." From Italy came "brigantine," from the Dutch, "skipper," "lugger," and "smack"; from the Spaniards "cargo" Mid "binnacle." Even almost-in our own lifetime descendants of our own same in America had sent across to this country the familiar words "schooner" on<l "clipper." He wanted to see the teaman's words connected with the sailing ships kept in our language, even though the sailing ship might be passing £"ay. Our sailors had exported our •ms into nearly cyery language on •arth, nnd he, w.lio had always had an immense faith in the plain and simple people of his country, wished that the caro of the English language might be left to the sailors to look after. . Even Within the last generation things new had been named by them —good English Words like "battleship," "ironclad," "dreadnought,'"' words that hit you like a Bftmmer. Ot her people went floundering about inventing words like "cinematograph" and "hydro-aeroplane."