The history of the words ‘port’ and ‘starboard’, and how to remember which is which – Newshub

If you're not familiar with sailing but have been on a cruise, or plan to, then you're likely to get confused with the use of terms like "port" and "starboard".

Perhaps you know the terms from many hours watching the America's Cup. But do you know what they mean and where the terms came from?

Port is to your left if you are looking towards the front of the ship.

Originally the left side of the ship was called 'backbord', a German word which didn't last long and was replaced by the English word 'larboard', likely an adaptation of a word meaning 'loading side'.

Thankfully, someone along the way - apparently in the mid-19th century - realised that "larboard" and "starboard" sounded rather alike and could easily be confused or misheard. And that wouldn't be a good thing if you're under attack or in more modern times, docking at a five-star hotel.

So the term port was introduced, but while the idea of the name deriving from a drunken sailors favourite high-seas tipple, its origin is much more simple.

Due to the position of the ship's captain, the vessel would always dock with the left side against the port, so there you have it.

Starboard is to the right of the ship when looking forward and the origin of the term is quite straightforward compared to the other side of the boat.

'Starboard' combines two old words, stor ('steer') and bord ('the side of a boat').

So with the ship's captain steering the boat from the right side, storbord, starboard it was.

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The history of the words 'port' and 'starboard', and how to remember which is which - Newshub