舷

瑪麗皇后二號的左舷

海洋自由號的右舷

舷，分別在船身的左及右邊。根據國際慣例，左舷被稱為Port，右舷被稱為Starboard。

英文詞源

左舷（Port）

Port源於larboard，由中古英語ladebord演變而成。由於larboard聽起來容易與starboard混淆[1] ，是以1844年之後由「Port」所取代。左舷被稱為「Port」，亦因為傳統上，船隻是左邊靠岸或碼頭的。

右舷（Starboard）

公元256年船員操槳於船尾控制方向

Starboard的叫法源於西方早期船隻方向控制的習慣。在舵發明之前，船員會以特製的槳於船尾控制方向。由於多數船員為右撇子，船槳多數絟於船的右方。Starboard源於古英語steorbord一詞，意思是控制船隻方向的那一方。

參考

1. Norie, John William; Hobbs, J. S. Sailing directions for the Bay of Biscay, including the coasts of France and Spain, from Ushant to Cape Finisterre "A new ed., rev. and considerably improved". C. Wilson. 1847: 1 [1840] [7 February 2010]. OCLC 41208722. （原始内容存档于2020-08-20）. An order, recently issued by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, states, that in order to prevent mistakes, which frequently occur from the similarity of the words starboard and larboard, in future, the word port is to be substituted for larboard, in all Her Majesty’s ships or vessels. 

伸延閱讀

• Herreshoff, Halsey, (consulting editor) (1983) The Sailor’s Handbook, Little Brown and Company
• Jobson, Gary (1987) Sailing Fundamentals, Simon & Schuster
• Maloney, Elbert S., (editor) (1999) Chapman Piloting: Seamanship & Small Boat Handling, Hearst Marine Books, New York
• Rousmaniere, John (1999) The Annapolis Book of Seamanship, Simon & Schuster
• Seidman, David (1995) The Complete Sailor, International Marine

外部連結

• The origins of 'port' and 'starboard' at the UK National Maritime Museum website