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C2  ·  30 words

Harbour and coastal works in Italian

Where a ship makes fast, and who built the thing it makes fast to.

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From these 30 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.

More about this list

La darsena is the enclosed basin inside a port, the water that stays still while the sea outside does not, and the name travelled a long way to get there. Behind it is the Arabic dār aṣ-ṣināʿa, the house of manufacture, which is what a state shipyard was: the place where hulls were built, fitted out and kept. The Italian ports took that phrase in and made two words of it. One is la darsena, which kept the water and let the workshop go. The other is l’arsenale, which in Venice named the whole shipbuilding compound — arzanà in the Venetian of the time — and that is the one English borrowed, as « arsenal ». Only the second branch drifted towards weapons, and English narrowed it again, to a store of arms and from there to a figure of speech: an « arsenal » of arguments. So a reader who already owns the one word owns this list’s word too. Same house of manufacture; one branch kept the guns, the other kept the harbour.

The words

Verb (1)

tonneggiareto warp a ship along a quayVerbC2
La nave tonneggia lungo la banchina.The ship warps along the quay.

Noun (m) (23)

Grammar for these: Definite article: il, lo, la · Indefinite article: un, uno

il frangifluttithe breakwaterNoun (m)C2
Il frangiflutti rompe l’onda prima della banchina.The breakwater breaks the wave before it reaches the quay.
il pennello a marethe groyneNoun (m)C2
Il pennello a mare trattiene la sabbia da un lato.The groyne holds the sand back on one side.
il masso artificialethe concrete armour blockNoun (m)C2
Ogni masso artificiale pesa quanto un camion.Each concrete armour block weighs as much as a lorry.
il palancolatothe sheet pile wallNoun (m)C2
Il palancolato tiene la terra dietro la banchina.The sheet pile wall holds the earth back behind the quay.
il tirante di ancoraggiothe anchor tie rodNoun (m)C2
Il tirante di ancoraggio lavora solo a trazione.The anchor tie rod works in tension only.
il dragaggiothe dredgingNoun (m)C2
Il dragaggio si ripete ogni pochi anni.The dredging is repeated every few years.
il materiale dragatothe dredged materialNoun (m)C2
Il materiale dragato viene analizzato prima di essere spostato.The dredged material is analysed before it is moved.
il canale navigabilethe navigation channelNoun (m)C2
Il canale navigabile è segnato dalle boe.The navigation channel is marked out by buoys.
il bacino di evoluzionethe turning basinNoun (m)C2
La nave gira nel bacino di evoluzione.The ship turns round in the turning basin.
il parabordothe fenderNoun (m)C2
Il parabordo scricchiola sotto la fiancata.The fender creaks under the ship’s side.
il cavo d’ormeggiothe mooring lineNoun (m)C2
Il cavo d’ormeggio si tende e si allenta con la marea.The mooring line tightens and slackens with the tide.
il carrello a portalethe straddle carrierNoun (m)C2
Il carrello a portale scavalca due file di contenitori.The straddle carrier steps over two rows of containers.
il piazzale di stoccaggiothe storage yardNoun (m)C2
Il piazzale di stoccaggio è pieno fino in fondo.The storage yard is full right to the back.
il terminal per le rinfusethe bulk terminalNoun (m)C2
Il terminal per le rinfuse lavora con nastri e gru.The bulk terminal works with belts and cranes.
il traffico rotabilethe roll-on roll-off trafficNoun (m)C2
Il traffico rotabile entra dalla rampa di poppa.The roll-on roll-off traffic comes in over the stern ramp.
il servizio di pilotaggiothe pilotage serviceNoun (m)C2
Il servizio di pilotaggio sale a bordo all’ingresso.The pilotage service comes aboard at the harbour entrance.
il cassone di fondazionethe foundation caissonNoun (m)C2
Il cassone di fondazione viene affondato e poi riempito.The foundation caisson is sunk and then filled.
lo sbarramento provvisoriothe cofferdamNoun (m)C2
Lo sbarramento provvisorio tiene l’acqua fuori dallo scavo.The cofferdam keeps the water out of the excavation.
l’insabbiamentothe silting up with sandNoun (m)C2
L’insabbiamento chiude l’imboccatura ogni inverno.The silting up closes the entrance every winter.
il trasporto litoraneothe longshore driftNoun (m)C2
Il trasporto litoraneo sposta la sabbia lungo la riva.Longshore drift moves the sand along the shore.
lo zero idrograficothe chart datumNoun (m)C2
Le profondità sulla carta partono dallo zero idrografico.The depths on the chart are counted from chart datum.
il rifornimento di carburantethe bunkeringNoun (m)C2
Il rifornimento di carburante avviene di notte.The bunkering is done at night.
il rizzaggiothe lashing of cargoNoun (m)C2
Il rizzaggio del carico si controlla prima della partenza.The lashing of the cargo is checked before departure.

Noun (f) (6)

Grammar for these: Definite article: il, lo, la · Indefinite article: un, uno

la scogliera radentethe revetmentNoun (f)C2
La scogliera radente protegge il piede della strada.The revetment protects the foot of the road.
la bittathe bollardNoun (f)C2
La cima gira due volte intorno alla bitta.The line goes twice round the bollard.
la darsenathe dock basinNoun (f)C2
La darsena resta calma anche con vento forte.The dock basin stays calm even in a strong wind.
la risalita dell’ondathe wave run-upNoun (f)C2
La risalita dell’onda bagna la strada dietro il muro.The wave run-up wets the road behind the wall.
la briccolathe mooring pileNoun (f)C2
La barca si lega a una briccola.The boat ties up to a mooring pile.
l’alimentazione da terrathe shore power supplyNoun (f)C2
Con l’alimentazione da terra i motori restano spenti.With shore power the engines stay switched off.

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