Today we will consider such concepts as "captain", "boatswain", which are synonyms.
Etymology and meanings
The word "bosun" comes from English, in some sources from the Dutch (Dutch) word boatsman, which means "boatman". This meaning was used even before the revolution, and after that it was excluded from the language.
So, boatswain is a military non-commissioned officer rank that existed in the Russian fleet, as well as in the fleet of some other countries of the world. This title is also used in the military units of modern states. Simply put, the boatswain's service is the position of a non-commissioned officer.
In the explanatory dictionary of S. Ozhegov and N. Shvedov, the following definition is given: "The boatswain is a junior staff member to whom the deck crew is subordinate. He needs to know the names of all sailors reporting to him, also non-commissioned officers, to monitor their behavior, to know about their skills and sea service skills. In addition, this person must know the equipment of the ship, be able to work with a compass, control the rudder and sails. If there is a boatswain team on the ship, then amongits employees are appointed senior or chief - the boatswain. On a merchant ship, the boatswain monitors life-saving appliances, boats, anchors, and their performance. He manages the loading and securing of cargo, distributes work among the sailors."
M. Popov's complete dictionary of foreign words says that the boatswain is the senior rank among sailors, their closest boss. The same dictionary gives a more concise definition. The boatswain is a sergeant major in the navy.
Meaning of the word "sergeant major"
This rank comes from the German feldwebel and was used in the tsarist army. Means the rank of non-commissioned officer, who is the assistant commander for the economic part and internal regulations. Corresponds approximately to the rank of senior sergeant. In Russian, the word has been used since the 17th century. This rank was introduced by Peter I and was used not only in the fleet, but also in the cavalry, where it was called a little differently - sergeant major.
Later the rank of sergeant major was changed to "second lieutenant" and "ensign".
The word "boatswain" correlates with such concepts as "captain", "sergeant major", "non-commissioned officer", "sergeant", "sergeant".
