Catamaran

How a humble Indian boat used by fishermen on placid waters came to the English language

In South India and Sri Lanka, boats are often crafted by tying together logs of wood. These are sturdy enough to navigate the backwaters and fishing close to the coast. In Tamil, a boat made by tying wood together in this fashion is called Kattumaram. This literally translates to tied wood.

Source: Wikipedia

Such craft has been used by the Polynesians for millennia.

When Vasco da Gama arrived in India, he first reached the port at Calicut. He opened up an alternate trade route to India. The English followed in his footsteps.

In 1697, English adventurer William Dapier came to India to the Coast of Coromandel, what is called Tamil Nadu today. He wrote, “On the coast of Coromandel they call them Catamarans. They are but one log or two, sometimes of a sort of light wood. So small that they carry but one man, whose legs and breech are always in the water.”

And like that Catamaran joined the English lexicon.

The word has since evolved in its meaning to refer to twin hulled sailing boats which have been used to circumnavigate the globe. This evolution came about in the 20th century.