| Show ORIGIN OF NAVAL TITLES borrowed military terms from the arabic tl atud abe in the early days the rank of admiral was unknown lie chief officer of a squadron was called a constable or justice the term admiral as used now is derived from the arabic amir or emir a commander as in amiral amir al bahr commander of the sea the earlc english form was amiral and is still preserved as such by the french tha spanish and portuguese forms are the italian the title captain ia not a naval but a military one say a the brooklyn citizen under the older organization the real captain of a ship wa a master but a military officer was placed on board though he knew nothing about nautical affairs As the captain became bigger and bigger the master became smaller and amaler until at the present day he fills a subordinate position which is gradually becoming obsolete being replaced by an officer under the title of a navigating lieutenant commodore comes from the spanish commendador the title lieutenant borrowed directly from the french is more modern and is meant as a placeholder or one who took the place of the captain when absent sub lieuten ant Is still more icide rn and at the same time a misnomer as he never was a cub lieutenant but merely a mate or one who assisted in former days we had no cabets cadets but volunteers however with the gradual advance of po lite nass the more seemly term of cabets cadets was borrowed from the french and adopted as the title of the young gentlemen in our navy in place of paymasters the ships of old had pur sera who looked after the provisions the naval purser did more he had charge gf the scores of the ship and the money hest surgeons and surgeons mates fulfilled the duties of the doctors chaplains are of modern introduction naval instructors and schoolmasters ruled in their stead the term mate was a rather universal one and to all branches |
