The New International Encyclopædia/Larboard

LARBOARD (ME. laddebord, possibly from lade, load, from AS., OHG. hladan, Ger. laden, to load + bord, AS. bord, OHG. bort, Ger. Bord, Eng. board, side of a ship; probably influenced by the analogy of starboard). An obsolete naval term for the left side of a vessel looking forward. From its liability to be confused by the steersman with the not very different sound ‘starboard,’ the word was officially abolished and the expression ‘port’ arbitrarily substituted.