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Ships called "She"? English Edification Enrichment (33)

Why are ships called "she"?




There are several explanations for this. Some say during the early days of sailing every ship was always dedicated to some goddess, and as a result the ship was referred to as "she". Another theory is that the crew always thought the ship represented their mother and as a result treated it with a great deal of respect. In most Romance languages the ship is always referred to as "she" and it is quite possible that English sailors began to adopt this practice as well.

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