HylicManoeuvre@mander.xyz to Today I Learned@lemmy.worldEnglish · 17 hours agoTIL that the forward part of a ship, the forecastle, is pronounced (and sometimes written as) "fo'c'sle"en.wikipedia.orgexternal-linkmessage-square23fedilinkarrow-up1114arrow-down10
arrow-up1114arrow-down1external-linkTIL that the forward part of a ship, the forecastle, is pronounced (and sometimes written as) "fo'c'sle"en.wikipedia.orgHylicManoeuvre@mander.xyz to Today I Learned@lemmy.worldEnglish · 17 hours agomessage-square23fedilink
minus-squareTreczoks@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up4·8 hours agoYou would be amazed how many short forms are used in sailing, sometimes crippled to letter salad with apostrophes. Fo’c’sle is not alone, by far.
minus-squareprayer@sh.itjust.workslinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up5·8 hours agoBoatswain -> Bosun -> Bo’s’n
minus-squareSanguinePar@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up3·6 hours agoBut Bo’s’n uses one more character than Bosun? Sailing is mental.
minus-squareoptissima@lemmy.mllinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up6·5 hours agoYou think the sailors were passing notes mate?
minus-squareSanguinePar@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up1·4 hours agoNo :-) But it still doesn’t make sense for Boatswain to become Bosun to become Bo’s’n. Bos’n maybe, but the apostrophe between o and s isn’t doing anything.
minus-squareoptissima@lemmy.mllinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up2·3 hours agoNow that I look at it it could’ve been used as syllable indicator, but I’d guess that Bosun and Bo’s’n were developed separately in regions with different languages where each spelling was easier for local populations
minus-squareSanguinePar@lemmy.worldlinkfedilinkEnglisharrow-up1·2 hours agoMaybe yeah. There’s probably a good reason somewhere, I just don’t get it. All good 👍
You would be amazed how many short forms are used in sailing, sometimes crippled to letter salad with apostrophes. Fo’c’sle is not alone, by far.
Boatswain -> Bosun -> Bo’s’n
But Bo’s’n uses one more character than Bosun?
Sailing is mental.
You think the sailors were passing notes mate?
No :-)
But it still doesn’t make sense for Boatswain to become Bosun to become Bo’s’n.
Bos’n maybe, but the apostrophe between o and s isn’t doing anything.
Now that I look at it it could’ve been used as syllable indicator, but I’d guess that Bosun and Bo’s’n were developed separately in regions with different languages where each spelling was easier for local populations
Maybe yeah. There’s probably a good reason somewhere, I just don’t get it. All good 👍