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Origin and history of yacht

yacht(n.)

1550s, yeaghe "a light, fast-sailing ship," originally a vessel of state for important personages, later used by the wealthy for pleasure trips or racing, from Norwegian jaght or early Dutch jaght, both from Middle Low German jacht, a shortened form of jachtschip "fast pirate ship." This is literally "ship for chasing," from jacht "chase," from jagen "to chase, hunt," from Old High German jagon, from Proto-Germanic *yago-, which is reconstructed (Watkins) to be from PIE root *yek- (2) "to hunt" (source also of Hittite ekt- "hunting net").

As a verb by 1826. Yacht-club, "union of yacht-owners," usually headed by a "commodore," is by 1834. Related: Yachting; yachter; yachtsman; yachtsmanship.

also from 1550s

Entries linking to yacht

hunt(v.)

Old English huntian "chase game" (transitive and intransitive), perhaps developed from hunta "hunter," and related to hentan "to seize," from Proto-Germanic *huntojan (source also of Gothic hinþan "to seize, capture," Old High German hunda "booty"), which is of uncertain origin.

Not the usual Germanic word for this, which is represented by Dutch jagen, German jagen (see yacht (n.)). General sense of "search diligently" (for anything) is recorded from c. 1200. Related: Hunted; hunting. To hunt (something) up "search for until found" is from 1791. Parlor game hunt the slipper is attested from 1766.

jager(n.)

also jaeger, "German sharpshooter," 1776, from German Jäger, literally "huntsman," from jagen "to hunt," from Old High German jagon, related to Old Frisian jagia, Dutch jagen "to hunt," Old Norse jaga "to drive, to move to and fro" (see yacht (n.)).

Applied in the armies of the German states and Austria to special units of riflemen and sharpshooters, originally recruited in forest regions. Englished as yager, yaeger from 1804.

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hull
Compare Latin carina "keel of a ship," originally "shell of a nut;" Greek phaselus "light passenger ship, yacht," literally...
dreamboat
Chris Smith, all his life, had held in mind a boat of about fifty feet overall which would be the last word in yacht design...
regatta
The general meaning of "boat race, yacht race" is usually considered to have begun with a race on the Thames by that name...
vessel
c. 1300, "container," from Old French vessel "container, receptacle, barrel; ship" (12c., Modern French vaisseau) from Late Latin vascellum "small vase or urn," also "a ship," alteration of Latin vasculum, diminutive of vas "vessel." Sense of "ship, boat" is found in English from
boat
"small open vessel (smaller than a ship) used to cross waters, propelled by oars, a sail, or (later) an engine," Middle English bot, from Old English bat, from Proto-Germanic *bait- (source also of Old Norse batr, Dutch boot, German Boot), which is possibly from PIE root *bheid-
temerity
"extreme venturesomeness, rashness, recklessness," late 14c., from Latin temeritatem (nominative temeritas) "blind chance, accident; rashness, indiscretion, foolhardiness," from temere "by chance, at random; indiscreetly, rashly, recklessly;" probably, etymologically, "blindly,"
legend
early 14c., "narrative dealing with a happening or an event," from Old French legende (12c., Modern French légende) and directly from Medieval Latin legenda "legend, story," especially lives of saints, which were formerly read at matins and in refectories of religious houses, lit
program
1630s, "public notice," from Late Latin programma "proclamation, edict," from Greek programma "a written public notice," from stem of prographein "to write publicly," from pro "forth" (see pro-) + graphein "to write" (see -graphy).  The meaning "written or printed list of pi
epiphany
early 14c., "festival of the manifestation of Christ to the gentiles" (celebrated Jan. 6; usually with a capital -E-), from Old French epiphanie, from Late Latin epiphania, neuter plural (taken as feminine singular), from late Greek epiphaneia "manifestation, striking appearance,
rest
[sleep, repose, slumber] Old English ræste, reste "rest; a bed or couch; intermission of labor; mental peace, state of quiet or repose," from Proto-Germanic *rasto- (source also of Old Saxon resta "resting place, burial-place," Dutch rust, Old High German rasta, German Rast "rest

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