# Odd word origin

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-word-origin/245019>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 13, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-word-origin/245019 "2004-05-13T22:34:15Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ookpik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c68b51/32.png) [@ookpik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ookpik)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-word-origin/245019/1 "2004-05-13T22:34:15Z")

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So I’m on my way in to work this morning, listening to a French language radio station (I live in Quebec) and the host is talking about some celebrity leasing a yacht in Cannes.

She pronounced yacht as rhyming with “batch”, which although perfectly understandable considering that this person’s mother tongue is French, still made me laugh.

But at the same time, I’m curious about how such a word came to designate a boat that exists solely as a status symbol for the uber-rich.

Does it have any actual maritime origins?

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-word-origin/245019/2 "2004-05-13T22:47:28Z")

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It comes from Dutch. The Dutch called a small fast moving ship used for chasing pirates a “jaghtschip”…which means chasing ship or hunting ship. The name was then shortened to “jaghte”, and then, as Dutch changed, it became “jacht”, which was Anglicized to yacht.

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**Author:** ![ookpik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c68b51/32.png) [@ookpik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ookpik)\
**Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-word-origin/245019/3 "2004-05-13T23:09:59Z")

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Why thank you Captain! You are indeed amazing.

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2004, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/odd-word-origin/245019/4 "2004-05-14T03:26:18Z")

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It first appears in 1557 as _yeaghe_ in the phrase _Norway yeaghes);_ then in 1565 as _yaucht_ in the phrase _Norroway yauch)_ a light fast-sailing ship; probably borrowed from earlier Norwegian _jagt_ (now jakt), from MIddle Low German _jacht,_

This is from my Chambers Dictionary of Etymology. He’s usually right on.