stevedore

Where does the word "stevedore" come from? It comes from Latin stīpāre, passing through Spanish before entering English (1780s).

Stevedore’s story begins in Latin: stīpāre meant “to pack.” To pack or cram. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Spanish as estibador. A packer of cargo, from 'estibar', to stow. It reached English by 1780s as stevedore. Borrowed in Atlantic ports that traded with Spain. Today, stevedore means a person employed in loading and unloading ships.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient stīpāre "to pack", to pack or cram.
2. Stage 2 · Spanish · medieval estibador "cargo packer", a packer of cargo, from 'estibar', to stow.
3. Stage 3 · American English · 1780s stevedore "dock worker", borrowed in Atlantic ports that traded with Spain.