History of Starboard and Port?

Question

Does anyone know how the term "starboard" and "port" came from? The history of people naming it this way.

What i heard is that starboard is use in the past for people navigate by looking at the star. Port arrived because the another side will be use for loading supplies or entry/boarding.

Is it correct? Please clear my doubts. thanks!

Answer 1

Starboard, as all weekend sailors know, is the right side of the boat (or ship), and "port" is the left. We'll start with starboard, which appeared in English around 893 A.D. It comes from the Old English word "steorbord," based on the elements "steor" (steering paddle) and "bord" (meaning, in this case, the side of a boat). On ancient Teutonic ships, the paddle used to steer was mounted on the right side of the ship (as opposed to the stern, where most modern rudders are located). The "steorbord," or "steering side," was, therefore, the right side of the boat or ship. "Steorbord" gradually changed to "starboard" over the years, probably because "star" is a modern English word that people recognize, while "steor" is not. But the term has nothing to do with stars.

The other (left) side of the ship was not originally called "port." It was known as the "larboard" side, but just why is a bit of a mystery. It may be that "larboard" was based on words meaning "back side" (since the helmsman would have his back to that side). Or it may have been based on "lade" (to load) since the left, non-rudder side would be the side tied to a pier and receiving cargo.

In any case, "larboard" turned out to be far too easy to confuse with "starboard," and was eventually replaced with "port," referring, again, to the fact that the left side was the side over which cargo was loaded in port.

Answer 2

In the early days of boats and ships the rudder was a paddle used on the right hand side in Anglo-Saxon days it was called the (steorbord) starboard, you are right about the port side ( larboard ) or left as the steorbord would not get damaged when loading.

Answer 3

The Masked Masala was close...

Starboard was due to corruption of the term Steerboard.

Port probably owes its name to the fact that vessels had a port(opening) for lading(as in Bill of Lading) or loading, on the left hand side, and ladeboard, later corrupted into larboard was the name for the side of the vessel accross which cargo was carried and loaded.

Although  changed officially to Port in 1844, the use of the name dates far earlier. In Mainwarings "Seaman's dictionary" (1625) in it...Port is a word used in conding the ship...they use the term steady a- port or steady a-starboard.

Hope this helped.