Canoe or kayak?
This boat paddled past Narrow Escape first one way then the other. But is it a canoe or is it a kayak?
From the online OED:
canoe, n.:
1. A kind of simple, keelless boat:
a. Originally applied to those of the West Indian aborigines, which were hollowed out of a single tree-trunk, and thence to those of other primitive societies, or of prehistoric cultures, of this construction.
b. Extended to those of other societies and other construction, and used generally for any roughly-made craft used by American Indians, Malayo-Polynesians, etc.; most of these use paddles instead of oars, whence ‘canoe’ is sometimes understood to be any vessel propelled by paddles (cf. sense 2).
2.
a. A small light sort of boat or skiff propelled by paddling, used chiefly for recreation in Europe, North America, etc.
The ordinary canoe is made of thin board, galvanized iron, caoutchouc, paper, etc., and like the kayak of the Eskimoes is covered in, except the small space occupied by the canoeist; it is propelled by a paddle having a blade at each end; but so-called ‘Indian’ or ‘Canadian canoes’, which are open, and hold several persons, are also in use as pleasure-boats, and are propelled by a single-bladed paddle.
kayak, n.:
1. A canoe made of a framework of light wood covered with sealskins sewn together, made and used by the Inuit of Greenland and other Eskimo peoples.
The top has an opening in the middle to admit the single kayaker, who laces the covering tightly round the body to prevent the entrance of water.
2. Any canoe developed from the kayak and used for touring or sport.
From canoe (sense 2), it is an Indian canoe or a Canadian canoe.
From kayak (sense 2), it is a kayak, which is a kind of canoe.
Well done if that's what you said.
(The bits on the window are more mayfly casings. They wash off when it rains, but more arrive.)
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