Learn English – How did “hearties” come to mean “shipmates”

etymologypirate-english

Typically I find hearty to be used as an adjective, for example:

  • Thank you for this hearty meal

  • He gave a hearty laugh

The definition for which can be found in any dictionary and can mean things like warm-hearted, genuine, forceful, etc.

The noun meaning being

a brave or good fellow, especially with reference to a shipmate.

I couldn't find any reason why it should be especially applied to men of the sea.

Is there a reason why, for pirates in particular, shipmates are hearties?

Best Answer

The OED says

A hearty fellow; a brave, vigorous man; esp. in phr. my hearty!, my hearties! used in addressing sailors. Hence, a sailor, a jack-tar.

No mention of sea-shanties, and no suggestion that the "hearty work" accompanied by them had any particular relevance. Once again it is a fairly transparent use of a word which to my mind doesn't require any special explanation.

But it clearly is associated with the sea from the beginning: the earliest citation is from Phantom Ship by F Marryat in 1839.

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