polacre

Mar. 9th, 2023 08:25 am
prettygoodword: text: words are sexy (Default)
[personal profile] prettygoodword
polacre or polacca (both poh-LAH-kuh) - n., a ship with two or three single-pole masts with mixed square and lateen rigging used in the Mediterranean.


Always square on the main-mast and lateen (or mixed square and lateen) on the mizzen, and if there's a foremast lateen there as well. The overall look is similar to the xebec, though in pictures the stern seems to be not quite as overhanging:

polacca illustration from 1679
Thanks, WikiMedia!

In use from the 1600s through the 1800s. The name is of obscure origin, taken from either French polacre or Italian polacca, both meaning Polish, but why call it that is unknown.

---L.
This account has disabled anonymous posting.
If you don't have an account you can create one now.
HTML doesn't work in the subject.
More info about formatting

January 2026

S M T W T F S
     123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jan. 1st, 2026 04:58 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios