Ferries

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Moves people or vehicles across a body of water using a boat or ship
2. Conveys passengers or cars over a waterway by means of a vessel
3. Transports individuals or cargo across rivers, lakes, or seas aboard a ferryboat

Etymology: Before it meant a boat that carries people across water, "ferry" was a verb meaning to carry or convey something from one place to another. The verb descends from Old English "ferian," a causative of the Proto-Germanic root behind English "fare," meaning "to go, travel." In other words, to ferry something was literally to make it travel, and the English word for a crossing point took its shape from that action. The noun appeared in Middle English as "ferie," meaning a place of crossing or the boat used there. Its form was shaped by the Old Norse "ferja," which carries the same sense, so the English noun grew out of the verb under the influence of a neighbouring Scandinavian term. Because English "ferry" and Latin "ferre" look alike, many people assume they are related, but the resemblance is coincidental and the two words have no shared origin. "Ferries" is simply the plural of the noun, and the third-person singular form of the verb, both traced to the same Old English root.

Synonyms: boats, vessels