Definition
A person who operates, works on, or rows a boat, especially someone who ferries passengers across water.
Etymology
Compound of 'boat' (from Old Norse 'bátr') and 'man' (Old English 'mann'). The occupational term appeared in medieval texts describing river and coastal workers.
Kelly Says
In ancient Greece and Egypt, boatmen had religious significance—Charon, the mythological boatman of the dead, was so important that Greeks included coins in burials specifically for his ferry fee to the afterlife.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
ሰማይ ነው
se-may ne-w
ARالعربية
راع قارب
ra'i' qārib
BNবাংলা
নৌকা মালিক
nau-ka ma-lik
CACatalà
capità del vaixell
ca-pi-ta del va-i-xel
CSČeština
kormidelník lodě
kor-mi-de-l-nik lo-de
DADansk
bådsmand
båds-mand
DEDeutsch
Bootsmann
bo-ts-man
ELΕλληνικά
κυβερνήτης
ki-ver-ni-tes
ESEspañol
remero
re-me-ro
FAفارسی
سربان قایق
sar-ban qa-i-q
FISuomi
veneenmies
ve-neen-mies
GUGU
બોટના માલિક
bo-tna ma-lik
HAHA
ma'aikata ruwa
ma-ai-ka-ta ru-wa
HEעברית
קברניט
ka-ber-nit
HIहिन्दी
नाव का मालिक
naav ka ma-lik
HUMagyar
hajómester
ha-jo-mes-ter
IDBahasa Indonesia
nelayan
ne-la-yan
IGIG
onye na-akwa
o-nye na-akwa
ITItaliano
rematore
re-ma-to-re
KMKM
អ្នកដឹកទន្លា
a-nk deik to-n-la
MRMR
नावचा मालक
naav-cha ma-lak
MSBahasa Melayu
naik bot
naik bot
MYမြန်မာ
ရေကယာ လူ
ye-ka-ya lu
NLNederlands
bootman
boot-man
PLPolski
sternik łodzi
ster-nik lo-dzi
PTPortuguês
marinheiro
ma-ri-nei-ro
RUРусский
рулевой лодки
ru-le-voy lo-d-ki
SVSvenska
båtsman
båts-man
SWKiswahili
mwana wa meli
mwa-na wa me-li
TAதமிழ்
படகு வைத்தியர்
pa-da-gu vai-thi-yar
TEతెలుగు
నౌక యజమాని
na-uk ya-ja-ma-ni
THไทย
คนเชือดเรือ
kon cheu-d reu
TLTL
manggagawa sa bangka
man-gag-ga-wa sa ban-ka
TRTürkçe
tekneci
tek-ne-ci
UKУкраїнська
штурман
sh-tur-man
URاردو
جہاز کا مالک
jeh-aaz ka ma-lik
VITiếng Việt
thuyền trưởng
thuy-en-trong
ZUZU
umshayeli wezifuba
um-sha-ye-li we-zi-fu-ba
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
'-man' suffix historically restricted occupational language to male workers, excluding women's documented participation in maritime labor.
Inclusive Usage
Use 'boatperson,' 'boat operator,' or 'sailor' to include all genders without implying gender neutrality of the role.
Inclusive Alternatives
["boatperson","boat operator","sailor","crew member"]
Empowerment Note
Women have worked maritime trades across centuries; maritime gender history has been systematically written out.