Sailor Speak of the Week – ‘Vast

Definition

Verb

• An aphetic of avast, meaning to hold, stop, or cease.

Origin

Probably earlier than the 17th Century. From Old Dutch, hou’vest, and possibly related to the Portuguese word, abasta, meaning, enough. Earlier origins could be from Arabic as well.

Comments

Same as the word avast, but just a shortened form.

References

King, D., Hattendorf, J.B, & Estes, J.W. (1997). A Sea of Words: A Lexicon and Companion for Patrick O’Brian’s Seafaring Tales (2nd Ed.). Owl Books.

Rogers, J.G. (1985). Origins of Sea Terms. Mystic Seaport.