The word starboard comes from Old English steorbord, literally
meaning the side on which the ship is steered, descendant from
the Old Norse words stýri meaning "rudder" (from the verb stýra,
literally "being at the helm", "having a hand in") and bor. The
starboard side of a ship is indicated by a green light. An early
version of "port" is larboard, which itself derives from Middle-
English ladebord via corruption in the 16th century by
association with starboard. The term larboard, when shouted in
the wind, was presumably too easy to confuse with starboard and
so the word port came to replace it. Port is derived from the
practice of sailors mooring ships on the left side at ports in
order to prevent the steering oar from being crushed. The port
side of a ship is indicated by a red light. In case you ever
forget that port is left and starboard is right (when facing the
bow of course), there is no shortage of mnemonics to help you
remember: - A ship that is out on the ocean has "left port". -
The sailor left por