New Cumulative history Quiz VII

No idea if this is true or just apocryphal, but I have heard that Port is the side that was normally to the dock (port).
 
what is the ****ing answer???

why are the sides of a ship called port and starboard?

In German the right side is 'Steuerbord' - I think starboard is derived from the same Germanic source. It literally means 'the side the ship is steered on', from the times when ships were steered by an oar affixed to the stern on one side. Since most people are right-handed, that was usually on the right.
Not sure about the exact derivation of 'port', but it's the side the ship docked on, since the steering oar was on the other side and in the way. So, since 'port' more-or-less equals 'harbor'....
 
What does "back" mean in this context?

That's the part no one is really sure of!
It could refer to the back of the steersman - with the rudder on the right, his back would tend to face left. Then again, in German the back is referred to as 'Rücken', not 'back' ... but it could be re-imported from Old English or some such
 
That's the part no one is really sure of!
It could refer to the back of the steersman - with the rudder on the right, his back would tend to face left. Then again, in German the back is referred to as 'Rücken', not 'back' ... but it could be re-imported from Old English or some such
In Estonian, its "pakpoord" and "tüürpoord", respectively. "Tüür" means "rudder" or "steering oar" btw...
 
Would "back" have something to do with loading (of cargo)? The older English term that was replaced by port, larboard, is derived from that. Of course it may be an obsolete term with little or no connection to modern ones.
 
Three days have also passed since CivKing's question. What's going on?
 
Three days have also passed since CivKing's question. What's going on?

I've been in transit

starboard comes from steorbord (steerboard), because of how the rudder was, they loaded from the opposite side so not to damage the rudder

port=portside, sarboard=steering side, and yes the English and German definition because this predates Old English when the languages were one
 
Naskra you have to give us the answer now
 
Sod him. He clearly can't be asked to give us the answer two weeks after he asked the question.

I have a question if no one else wants to go.
 
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