Originally Posted by
Basil
Bring back 'larboard'!
Excellent example, Basil! Two words that sound alike but have opposite meanings. I wonder if they replaced it with 'Port' because someone was worried about it, or after an actual mishearing incident on a windswept ship's deck caused a turn onto the rocks instead of away from them?
Incidentally, do you know that the meaning of a helm instruction changed direction? On the Titanic the instruction 'Hard a starboard' meant to turn *left* ASAP, because the instruction dated back to the time when tillers were used, and that's the way the tiller would be moved (opposite the direction of turn). The convention continued when wheel steering was used, but has been changed to what we'd consider the obvious way at some time since then. I wonder how that went down with old seamen used to the Old Way? (End of titbit!)