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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.