On Sun, 12 Aug 2007 14:55:20 -0700, roger
wrote:

On Aug 11, 9:36 pm, Short Wave Sportfishing wrote

"Starboard is a corruption of the Alglo-Saxon steorbord (steer board)
which hung over the right-hand side of the vessel.

The left hand side was known as larboard (loading side).

In 1844, the British Admirality officially changed the term larboard
to port which was quickly adopted by the US, French, Spanish and
German Navy."

Oh these Anglo Saxons claim too much! Scandanavians were trotting
around the globe in long ships in 800 A.D. when the anglo saxons were
floating around on logs in the Thames river wondering what was on the
other side.

Why yes - I think they discovered Idaho somewhere around that time I
believe. Also Japan and Peru.

The word starboard for a ship's right side comes from the an old
Norse word for steeringboard which was always on the right side of the
ship. The left side was called the larboard which comes again from
old Norse meaning the loading side. Those confounded English changed
it to the "Port side."

The word starboard comes from Old English steorbord, literally meaning
the side on which the ship is steered. The old English term steorbord
descends from the Old Norse words stýri meaning “rudder” and borð
meaning “side of a ship”.

Notice the subtle difference? One word, two words?

Scandi scum want to claim credit for everything. :)