Re:Ask HN: What did you find out or explore today?
by nicbou on Thursday January 15, 2026 @03:46AM
(#46629851)
In French, there is babord and tribord. The mnemonic is ba-tri, or “battery”.
Re:Ask HN: What did you find out or explore today?
by harperlee on Thursday January 15, 2026 @04:35AM
(#46630243)
In Spanish, it's babor and estribor. My personal mnemonic (me and most people being right-handed) is that the estribo (the stirrup, but I always though it was the reins - TIL) in a horse go on the right hand and the boba hand (the clumsy hand) is the left one.
Re:Ask HN: What did you find out or explore today?
by Gazoche on Thursday January 15, 2026 @05:39AM
(#46630696)
Oh I didn't know this one. For me the mnemonic was " 'ba' has an 'a' like 'gauche' (left), and 'tri' has an 'i' like 'droite' (right)".
Re:Ask HN: What did you find out or explore today?
by sdoering on Thursday January 15, 2026 @06:35AM
(#46631064)
In German it is Steuerbord und Backbord. And my mnemonic is the "r" in Steuerbord = the "r" in right hand side (when looking to the bow that is).
Re:Ask HN: What did you find out or explore today?
by azepoi on Thursday January 15, 2026 @08:02AM
(#46631824)
Both likely come from (middle) dutch bakboord (the side of your back) facing the stierboord (the side with the steering oar) . Stierboord became estribord then tribord. Its more explicit in modern german and dutch.
Re:Ask HN: What did you find out or explore today?
by toomuchtodo on Thursday January 15, 2026 @11:46AM
(#46635306)
A fun mnemonic I use to remember port is to the left is "lp unix command = line printer = left to port".
Re:Ask HN: What did you find out or explore today?
by nosrepa on Thursday January 15, 2026 @01:22PM
(#46636803)
I just remember that left and port have the same number of letters.
Re:Ask HN: What did you find out or explore today?
by cylentwolf on Thursday January 15, 2026 @02:05PM
(#46637462)
I just remember that port is four letters and left is four letters. :)
Chosen to be independent of a mariners orientation.
Starboard - most sailors were right handed and the steering oar was placed on the right. Star = steer. Board = side of boat.
Port - as steering oars got bigger, boats tended to dock on the left hand side. This became to be known as “lardboard” which sounded too much like starboard, so it was changed to “Port” (as in the side typically facing the port side.