3 ms·

If you can think of another couple of examples, you'll persuade me to change the word 'marginal' to 'minimal' ;-)

WJW 6y ago
Pretty easy if you look at nautical lingo: captain is taken from kapitein, also anker/anchor and lijn/line, etc. My favorite etymological explanation: Back in the day the rudder had not yet been invented, so they used a slightly oversized oar to steer (dutch: stuur) the ship. It was not practical to fasten it exactly in the middle, so it would have to be either on the right or the left side of the ship. Because most helmsmen were right-handed, the oar usually got fastened to the right side, which was henceforth known as the stuur-boord, literally the board of the ship that the steering oar was fastened to. Because the uu-vowel doesn't do too well in English, it got turned into starboard, which is still used today. Coincidentally, because the steering oar was in the way when mooring the ship it became customary to moor the ship on the 'left' side. This then became known as the 'port' side because the port was always on that side.
- beaconstudios 6y ago
  presumably these are Dutch influences on English, not specifically American English? We've been interacting with our Dutch neighbours for hundreds of years, especially at sea.
- checkyoursudo 6y ago
  Reasonable. Jag styr min båt. Jag styr på styrbord. I steer my boat. I steer on starboard. The Swedish styr is pretty much like the English steer but rounded instead of flat, if that makes sense, and means the same. And bord can be a board. So, steering board.
- dia80 6y ago
  Rather error prone but it was starboard & larboard before the Royal Navy changed larboard to port. Although larboard related to loading so your reasoning was correct.
yread 6y ago
bakkerij -> bakery (instead of bakers)
Someone 6y ago
Boss, bazooka, cookie, dollar, gin, mart, Santa Claus (from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Dutch_origin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Dutch..., guesstimating American Englishness)

WJW 6y ago

Pretty easy if you look at nautical lingo: captain is taken from kapitein, also anker/anchor and lijn/line, etc. My favorite etymological explanation: Back in the day the rudder had not yet been invented, so they used a slightly oversized oar to steer (dutch: stuur) the ship. It was not practical to fasten it exactly in the middle, so it would have to be either on the right or the left side of the ship. Because most helmsmen were right-handed, the oar usually got fastened to the right side, which was henceforth known as the stuur-boord, literally the board of the ship that the steering oar was fastened to. Because the uu-vowel doesn't do too well in English, it got turned into starboard, which is still used today. Coincidentally, because the steering oar was in the way when mooring the ship it became customary to moor the ship on the 'left' side. This then became known as the 'port' side because the port was always on that side.

beaconstudios 6y ago
presumably these are Dutch influences on English, not specifically American English? We've been interacting with our Dutch neighbours for hundreds of years, especially at sea.
checkyoursudo 6y ago
Reasonable. Jag styr min båt. Jag styr på styrbord. I steer my boat. I steer on starboard. The Swedish styr is pretty much like the English steer but rounded instead of flat, if that makes sense, and means the same. And bord can be a board. So, steering board.
dia80 6y ago
Rather error prone but it was starboard & larboard before the Royal Navy changed larboard to port. Although larboard related to loading so your reasoning was correct.

yread 6y ago

bakkerij -> bakery (instead of bakers)

Someone 6y ago

Boss, bazooka, cookie, dollar, gin, mart, Santa Claus (from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Dutch_origin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Dutch..., guesstimating American Englishness)