deckhand
UK[ˈdekhand]US[ˈdekˌhænd]
n
A sailor who does manual work on the deck of a ship.
Morpheme Breakdown
deck
hand
deck
ship's floor
hand
worker
Etymology
The word 'deckhand' is a transparent compound formed within English, combining two native elements. 'Deck' entered English from maritime Dutch, where it originally meant a covering or roof, evolving to denote the planked flooring of a ship. 'Hand' is a common Old English word for the body part, which developed a figurative sense for a person engaged in manual labor, as seen in terms like 'farmhand' or 'hired hand'. The compound thus logically denotes a worker whose primary duties are performed on the ship's deck, reflecting the straightforward naming practices of occupational terms in the language.
Analysis
Structure: deck (ship's floor) + hand (worker)
- deck: From Middle Dutch dec (covering, roof). In this compound, it refers to the floor or platform of a ship.
- hand: From Old English hand. In this compound, it is used metonymically to mean a manual worker or laborer.
Examples
He started his career as a young deckhand on a fishing trawler.
The deckhands were busy scrubbing the deck and coiling ropes.
Experience as a deckhand is often the first step toward becoming a ship's officer.