mizzen etymology

[apex1]

Entertainment for a whole afternoon, thanks peers.
May I have a little break? I need to leave the place for a moment.

[dskira]

On the only knowne seven mast coastal trading schooner built in Thomaston, Maine, last century, they called the different masts by the day of the week, starting by Monday on the fore mast, until Sunday on the last one.

[sharpii2]

Originally Posted by xarax

What happens with the two- and three- equal mast schooners ?
I think that it would not be very difficult to search for the first appearances of the term in latin litterature, and see if my explanation about its etymology stands or not. In greek litterature "epidromos" is an ancient term, but I can not find when the identification of "epidromos" with the ( probably Venetian or Genovan) term ""mezzana"" did take place.

The third mast is the mizzen. Masts after that are called mizzen #2... But this is only if the masts are the same height or the aft masts are shorter.

There doesn't seem to be any universal nomeclature in the marine world other than bow and stern and port and starboard. As things get the least bit unusual the nomeclature goes all over the map.