Maritime expressions

[Hugh Olmsted]

Dear David-- 
The first of your terms, матошник, is evidently a slight variant of 'маточник' (cf the old Moscow pronunciation of graphic / etymological -чн- as --шн-, as in 'яичница' and, конечно, in 'конечно'), in the meaning of 'compass' --see the Dictionary of XI-XVII century Russian, vol. 9 (M), p. 46.
Hugh Olmsted


On Jun 24, 2012, at 7:39 AM, David Wells wrote:

> Hello
>  
> I am translating a seafarer’s account from circa 1700.  I wonder if anyone can assist with a couple of expressions?
>  
> Матошник – I thought from example 1 this must be some sort of seaweed, but with example 2, I am not so sure.
>  
> 1)      И как-де ветры престали, тогда они по матошнику усмотрели, что их далеко в море занесло, стали домышлитца -- как бы им назад возвратитца?
>  
> 2)      А как дерево на море нашли [the ship was caught in a storm and the mast lost, but later replaced using a tree found floating in the ocean] и парус сшили, тогда по самой нужде по матошнику прибились к Курильской земле. 
>  
> Великие слезы – I take this to be the result of some sort of vitamin deficiency similar to scurvy (perhaps vitamin A deficiency).
>  
> Да и онеж, курильские люди, двух человек из них, которые будучи на судне на море от великих слез ослепли -- убили до смерти.
>  
> Many thanks
>  
> David Wells
>  
>  
> *******************
> David Wells
> Secretary-Treasurer
> Australia and New Zealand Slavists' Association
>  
>  
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