A fee or charge for transporting something by boat, or the service of carrying goods on water.
From 'boat' (Old English 'bat') + '-age' (suffix meaning action, process, or charge), following the pattern of portage and carriage. The suffix '-age' comes from Old French and Latin, commonly used to denote fees or services.
This word shows how English creates new terms for business practices—'boatage' was essential vocabulary in medieval and early modern ports where boat transport was a major industry, much like 'shipping fees' are today.
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