Starboard

The term “starboard” comes from the Old English words *stéor* (meaning “steer”) and *bord* (meaning “side of a boat”). Early boats were steered with a steering oar attached to the right side (the *stéorbord*), as most people were right-handed, making it the natural choice for steering. Over time, “stéorbord” evolved into “starboard.”

Since the steering oar was on the right, boats would dock on the left side to avoid damaging it, which is why the left side is called “port.” Originally, the left side was called “larboard,” but it was changed to “port” because “larboard” sounded too similar to “starboard” and led to confusion.