Ferryboat
/ˈfɛr.i.boʊt/noun
A boat used to carry people, vehicles, or goods across a body of water on a regular route.
Did you know?The first half, ferry, comes from a Germanic root for “to carry” that also lives in words like fare and transfer, so the whole word is basically a “carrying-boat.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“to carry, transport, bring across”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*farjaną
“to carry, convey”
Old English
OE
ferian
“to carry, transport”
Middle English
ME
ferren
“to ferry, carry across water”
Early Modern English
English
ferry
“a boat or service for carrying people or goods across water”
Modern English
English
ferryboat
“a boat used for ferrying across water”