the.com/ferry boat
A bridge that gave up and learned to swim.
means A boat that carries people, vehicles, or goods on a scheduled route across water, usually between two fixed points.
from Ferry traces back to Old English 'ferian,' meaning to carry or convey, itself related to 'faran' (to travel) — the same root that gives us 'fare' and 'farewell.' So a ferry was simply the thing that carried you over, long before 'boat' was tacked on for clarity. 'Boat' comes from Old English 'bat,' of Germanic origin, referring generally to small open vessels. Put together, 'ferry boat' is a bit redundant by design — a carrying-boat for carrying, doubling down on its own job description.
- origin
- word ferry comes from Old English faran, to travel
- oldest route
- Mersey Ferry has run since 1150
- capacity flex
- largest ferries carry over 5000 passengers at once
- fun irony
- often faster than bridges for crossing wide water