Gangway
/ˈɡæŋ.weɪ/noun
A passage or platform for boarding, leaving, or moving between areas, especially on a ship.
Did you know?The first part of *gangway* comes from an old verb meaning “to go,” while the second part is *way*—so the word originally meant a path or route for movement, not a mystical phrase at all.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
English
gangan
“to go, walk”
Middle English
English
gang
“a going, journey, or passage”
Middle English
English
way
“road, path, course”
16th-17th Century
English
gangway
“a passage or route for people to move through”
Modern English
English
gangway
“a passageway, especially on a ship or between sections of seating”