Rutter

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈɹʌtə/

Definitions

1. A reference manual containing information about navigation and coastal landmarks is essential for sailors' journeys at sea
2. A document that details maritime routes, hazards, and tidal information is crucial for safe navigation
3. A navigational guide that provides essential details about maritime courses, hazards, and coastal features serves as a critical tool for seafarers

Etymology: The word that now names a sea navigation guide once described a soldier. "Routier" in Middle French meant a mercenary, a member of a roving band of irregular troops, and the English word came through Middle Dutch "ruter" and "rutter", variants of "ruiter", meaning horseman or cavalryman. The sense of a traveller who knows the way came later, when the same people who had once ridden through the countryside began to be known for knowing its roads. The French root is "route", meaning road or course, combined with the suffix "-ier", which turns a noun into a person connected with it. A "routier" was therefore literally a man of the route, and the term passed from the sense of a soldier on the march to that of someone who knew the way. From this, English gained a word for a book or chart of sailing directions, a guide to coasts, channels, and hazards.

Synonyms: pilot, navigator