Stirboard ( Netherlands. Stuurboord , stuur - steering wheel, boord - board; English steerboard , later - English starboard ) - the right side of the ship. The equivalent name for the port side is the backboard. A starboard at night is indicated by a green nautical light, and a backboard is red.
The terms stuurboord and bakboord originate from the origins of shipping. Before the ships began to install the steering wheel in the center, they were controlled using a special steering oar. This oar was held by the helmsman, who stood at the stern of the ship. However, most sailors were right-handed . This meant that the steering oar (which was wider than usual for better control) was attached to the right side of the vessel. Buckboard was called so because the helmsman (helmsman) while steering the ship on course stood with his back to the port side. The word starboard ( steerboard ) comes from the Dutch verb sturen , control.
Etymology
The word itself, in turn, comes from the Old Norse words stýri ( steering wheel , from the verb stýra , literally “wearing a helmet”) and borð (board), and the word bakboard from bak - “back, back” and borð (board).