Ferryman
/ˈfɛr.i.mən/noun
A person who transports people or goods across a river or other body of water by boat.
Did you know?Ferryman comes from the same ancient root as iron itself, because the original idea behind the word was simply someone associated with a crossing or passage, not a supernatural boatman.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“to cross over, pass through”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*fērijaną
“to carry across, ferry”
Old English
OE
ferian
“to carry, convey, transport”
Middle English
ME
ferry
“a crossing place or boat for crossing water”
Middle English
ME
ferryman
“a man who ferries people across water”
Modern English
English
ferryman
“a person who operates or works on a ferry”