Larboard for Dummies

Hey there! I'm excited to help you understand the word "larboard." It's a nautical term that describes the left side of a boat or ship when you're facing the front, or the bow. So, imagine you're standing at the front of a ship, looking straight ahead. The side of the ship that you would see on your left is called the larboard side.

Now, let's break it down further. You know that a boat or ship has two sides, right? One is on the left, and the other is on the right. Well, "larboard" specifically refers to the left side. It's kind of like how we have a specific word for the left hand, and that's different from the right hand. So, just like we use different words to describe our hands, we use "larboard" to describe the left side of a ship or boat.

I hope that clears things up for you! But here's an interesting tidbit: did you know that the word "larboard" is not commonly used anymore? In fact, it's slowly been replaced by the word "port." That's the same side as larboard, the left side. Using the word "port" instead of "larboard" helps avoid confusion because both words start with the letter "L," so it's easy to mix them up. So, next time you hear someone using the word "port," you'll know they're talking about the left side of the ship.

Now, let me ask you something: Have you ever played a game where you had to follow directions? Like playing hide-and-seek and someone tells you which way to go? The word "larboard" is similar to that. It's like a special word that sailors use to quickly say that they need to go or do something on the left side of the ship. It's like their own secret code word!

To sum it all up, "larboard" is a word that describes the left side of a boat or ship when you're facing the front. It's a nautical word that sailors use to make sure they're all on the same page about directions. It's kind of like the secret handshake of the sea!