Bosun
/ˈboʊ.sən/noun
A ship’s officer responsible for supervising deck crew and maintaining the vessel’s equipment.
Did you know?“Bosun” is a phonetic shortening of “boatswain,” and the bosun traditionally used a piercing whistle—often called a boatswain’s pipe—to issue commands across the deck.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*baitą / *swainaz
“The ancestral forms behind “boat” and “swain,” meaning a vessel and a young man or servant.”
Old English
OE
bāt / swān
““Bāt” meant boat, while “swān” referred to a young man, servant, or attendant.”
Middle English
Middle English
bot-swein
“A compound meaning a servant or attendant assigned to a boat.”
15th Century
English
boatswain
“A recognized nautical title for the officer supervising deck work and sailors.”
19th Century
English
bosun
“A shortened, pronunciation-based spelling of “boatswain,” increasingly common in maritime usage.”
Modern English
English
bosun
“The deck supervisor responsible for crew, rigging, anchors, and other shipboard equipment.”