Lowtide The word peninsula has two Latin


roots: paene, meaning “almost”, and insula, meaning “island”. So a peninsula is “almost an island”.


A waft, meaning to float or drift, as


in the aroma of coffee wafting through the air, comes from the word wafter, an escort ship that convoyed other ships safely to port.


The word gulf goes back to the


Greek kolpos, bay. Today a gulf and a bay are still the same thing, an area of ocean partially enclosed by land, but we call the largest bays gulfs.


The word govern comes from


the Latin gubernare, to steer a ship. A maxim dating back to ancient Greece holds that those who govern “steer the ship of state”.


The word harbor is closely related


to Old French herberge, shelter, and is based on the Old English herebeorg, “refuge for an army”.


MARITIME TRIVIA The word inundate, as in floodwaters


BY BRYAN HENRY


inundated the city, comes from the Latin in- (on) plus unda (wave), so the word means literally “to cover by a wave”.


An armada, meaning a fleet, flotilla,


navy, is a Spanish word meaning “armed force”, as in the “Invincible Armada”, the ill-fated fleet of 130 ships sent against England in 1588 by Philip II of Spain.


The word arsenal comes from


Arabic dar al sina’ ah. Maritime arsenal, and early arsenals were workshops for making ships and arms. The word entered English about 1500 from the name of the great Venetian navy yard, the Arzana, where visitors could see great quantities of ships and ships’ stores.


Brackish comes from the Dutch


word brak, meaning salty. Canal and channel come from Latin


canalis, groove, pipe, channel.


Portland Wooden Boat Festival


July 10th 12pm - 6pm


• Classic Wooden Boat Show


• Family Boat Building


• Meet Wooden Boat Experts


• Flag Making • Live Music • Sailboat Rides • Barbeque • Beer Garden


Island is an Old English word that


was originally spelled iland. The “s” was added in the 15th century because people associated it with isle.


To isolate something means literally


to make an island of it, to separate it from others in the same way an island is separated from the mainland. It comes from the Italian word for island, isola, which in turn comes from the Latin insula, island, which also gives us insular, insulation, and isle.


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• On the water training - learn to operate your boat like a professional • Vessel maintenance - prevent expensive repairs and down time • Yacht delivery - check out our San Juan Island relocation service!


Brian Cromer – USCG 3000 Ton Master Oceans


(206) 499-8208 www.safepassagemarine.com


Windrose Interiors creating custom boat interiors since 1982


Located at 6336 SW Beaver Ave. Portland, OR www.WillametteSailingClub.com


48° NORTH, JUNE 2011 PAGE 32


• Custom Fitted Cushions • Curtains & Carpets • Cockpit Cushions • Fitted Sheets • Accessories


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(206) 784-0883


Many naval and seafaring


terms originate in Holland and the Scandinavian countries. The word dock comes from the Middle Dutch docke.


In its logbook sense, the word log


has been traced back to Arabic laug, meaning tablet.


Marine comes from the Latin


marinus, sailor, from the Latin mare, sea, which also gives us mariner, maritime and marinate (to pickle in salt water).


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