A gondola on the Venice canals. Photo by Mark Neal on Pexels.com

Definition

Noun

  1. A small, light pleasure boat with ornamented and high stem and sternposts, propelled by a single oar on the canals of Venice, Italy.
  2. A small boat propelled by six to eight oars along the Italian coastlines.
  3. A small, oar-propelled boat with a single cannon in the bow, used by Benedict Arnold’s forces on Lake Champlain during the American Revolution.

Origin

Likely from the 16th century. Possibly related to the Greek word, kondy, meaning a drinking vessel. The Assyrians had a similar craft around the 8th century BCE.

Comments

(first definition) Gondolas are famously propelled by gondoliers standing on the stern. The high stem is surmounted by a ferro, a metal beak in the shape of an ancient rostrum tridens. The origins of gondolas are unknown, but they appear in writings as early as 1094.

(third definition) Benedict Arnold used these boats on Lake Champlain as he held up the British advance from Canada. While described by Arnold as gondolas, it’s believed he meant to call them gundalows.

References

Kemp, P. (1994). The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea. Oxford University Press.

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