Terminologia żeglarska w szesnastowiecznych pamiętnikach pielgrzymów i podróżników

Abstract

The paper is a collection of reflections formulated during the study of Middle and New Polish diaries as sources for the history of the Polish language. The most interesting conclusion that follows from the material presented concerns the knowledge of the 16th-century nautical terminology. Despite its hermetic nature, it was familiar not only to professionals (Krzysztof Pawłowski), but also to quite numerous travellers, pilgrims and other world curious people of the time. Jan Goryński and Mikołaj Radziwiłł Sierotka provide the evidence of a relatively high competence in the field of marine, sailing and nautical terminology, questioning the stereotype of old Poles as being a nation of landsmen.