Skipper Comes From the Dutch for Ship
A skipper is the captain of a boat or a team. The word came from Dutch, like much of English seafaring vocabulary.
A skipper is the person in charge of a boat, and by extension of a sports team. Like a great deal of English maritime vocabulary, it came from Dutch: *schipper*, from *schip*, ship. English borrowed heavily from Dutch sailors in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, along with *yacht*, *deck*, *cruise* and *dock*.
- The captain of a boat. *The skipper called it in.*
- A team captain. *The club's skipper.*
- To captain. *He skippered the side for four years.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | skipper | A trawler skipper. |
| Plural | skippers | Two skippers. |
| Verb | skipper | Skipper the crew. |
| Related | captain | The ship's captain. |
| Related | helmsman | An experienced helmsman. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The skipper decided to turn back.Boats.
- She skippered the team to promotion.Sport.
- Ask the skipper before you move anything.Small vessels.
Dutch words in English seafaring
- Skipper — from *schipper*
- Yacht — from *jacht*, a hunting ship
- Deck — from *dek*, a covering
- Cruise — from *kruisen*, to cross
- Dock — from *dok*
From Middle Dutch *schipper*, from *schip*, ship. The seafaring borrowings reflect the Netherlands' dominance of trade and shipbuilding in the period.
Skipper or captain?
Captain is the formal rank. Skipper is informal, used for smaller vessels and for team captains.
Why so many Dutch sea words?
Because the Dutch led European shipping and shipbuilding in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and English sailors worked alongside them.