bcw (03/19/83)
From: Bruce C. Wright @ Duke University Re: POSH, Starboard, and Larboard The left-hand side of a boat is called either port or larboard; the right-hand side of a boat is called starboard. Believe it or not, both of the left-hand designations have a common derivation: back in the middle ages before the rudder of a boat was mounted in the center, the rudder was on the right (steerboard), a word which over time has been corrupted to starboard. The rudder interfered with loading the boat at a wharf, so boats were loaded from the left-hand side (loadboard or port), which term was likewise corrupted over time to larboard. In any event, the derivation of "posh" does not appear to be related to these words. Bruce C. Wright @ Duke University
filed01 (03/24/83)
Like a great number of other Englis nautical terms (e.g. skipper, yacht, poop), starboard is derived from the Dutch "stuurboord", whci means steering side. Before the invention of rudders, boats were steered by using a steering oar. Since this was handled by the skipper (Dutch: schipper, or ships-person), and the majority of people were right-handed, this was always on the steering side. The Dutch word for port is "bakboord." Herman Silbiger @ ABI/AIS
bhayes (04/01/83)
#R:duke:-308700:sri-unix:3500008:000:262 sri-unix!bhayes Mar 31 20:39:00 1983 He was thoughtful and grave -- but the orders he gave Were enough to bewilder the crew. When he cried "Steer to starboard, but keep her head larboard!" What on earth was the helmsman to do? Lewis Carroll From The Hunting of the Snark, Fit the Second