Latin Nautical Glossary
Contents |
A
acatus: boat
adminiculum: tiller
ancora: anchor
ancorale: sheet anchor
antennae: yard
apertus: (galley) with open sides
aplustre: stern ornament
B
biremis: two-banked galley
C
carina: keel
celoces: swift galleys reckoned among the small craft of a fleet
cercurus: a swift vessel, of no great size, driven by sail and oar, used as a fast merchantman as well as an auxillary in the fleets
ceruchus: lift - a line from the mast truck to the yardarm
clavus: helm, tiller
codicarius: river boatman
constratum: the fighting deck of a galley, the main deck of a merchantman
constratus (see tectus): a galley, protected by decking above and screens along the sides
contus: a pole used for punting or fending off
corvus: a boarding bridge
D
E
F
faber navalis: shipwright
forus: deck
G
gerulus: stevedore
gubernaculum: steering oar
gubernator: helmsman
H
I
inhibere: to back water
insigne: a device carved or painted on a ship - in some conjunctions, it can also stand for a flag, often used for signalling
K
L
lenuncularius: bargeman
liburna: liburnian (a light roman galley)
lintrarius: boatman
longa navis: galley (literally a "long ship")
lumen: ship's light
lusoriae: light Roman galleys used on the frontier rivers
M
magister: captain of a merchantman
malus: mast
manus ferrea: grapnel (literally "iron hand")
medicus: (ship's) doctor
milites classici: marines
N
navarchus: squadron commander (in the Roman navy)
naviculuarius: shipowner
O
ora: mooring line
P
palma: oar blade (literally the "palm of the hand")
pes, pedes: sheet, sheets
pix: pitch
pons: gangplank (usually in the form of a ladder)
praefectus classis: admiral (in the Roman navy)
praetoria navis: flagship
propugnaculum: turret
puppis: stern
Q
quadriremis: quadrireme
quinqueremis: quinquereme
R
remex: oarsman
remus: oar
restiones: riggers
rostrum: ram
S
saburra: ballast (literally "sand")
saburrarius: ballast handler (literally "sandman")
scala: landing ladder
scapharius: boatman
sentina: bilge
sentinaculum: a bucket for bailing the bilge
statumina: ribs
stuppator: caulker
supparum: topsail
T
tectus: galley, protected by decking above and screens along the sides
transtrum: thwart, rowers bench
triremis: trireme
turris: turret
U
urinator: diver
V
velum: sail
