Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “starboard” come from?

Starboard comes from Middle English sterbord, from Old English bord meaning board or side of a ship, from Proto-Germanic burdą, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰer- meaning to carry or bear.

starboard (English): The righthand side of a ship, boat or aircraft...

Definitions

  1. The righthand side of a ship, boat or aircraft...

Ancestry of “starboard”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishsterbord—
2Old Englishstēorbord—

Words derived from “starboard”

  • astarboard
Every word from Old English stēorbord →