A nautical term for a sailor or deckhand, particularly one of lower rank or status aboard a ship.
Possibly a compound of 'dag' (a hanging or ragged piece) and 'swain' (a young man or servant), though the exact etymology is disputed. The term appears in maritime vocabularies from the age of sail.
Maritime language preserved hundreds of specific role names that have almost completely disappeared—'dagswain' is one of many forgotten deck positions that each had distinct duties and pay grades in the age of sail.
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