A nautical term for a short timber or support beam that runs perpendicular to the main deck beams of a ship, providing structural support.
From Middle English 'carling,' possibly derived from 'carl' (peasant/common) or related to 'carve.' The nautical meaning developed as ship-building terminology specialized in structural components.
In shipbuilding, 'carling' is the hidden skeleton that holds everything together—sailors depended on these beams without probably knowing the word came from peasant-related vocabulary!
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