ヨット

1557, Merriam-Webster gives yacht as English from obsolete Dutch jaght, now jacht, short for jachtschip, literally hunting ship. The Dutch verb jagen means to chase or hunt, and Britannica describes 16th- and 17th-century Dutch jaght as a light vessel used in naval and state contexts. Britannica also notes Amsterdam's 1660 gift of the pleasure boat Mary to Charles II. English spelling yacht keeps a historical cluster that no longer matches modern English sound. Japanese ヨット is recorded by Shogakukan with English yacht as its direct source, with a 1909-10 example from Nagai Kafu's 冷笑 about a yacht race by American women. In Meiji and Taisho Japan, the word belongs to sport, leisure, and maritime vocabulary beside ボート, カッター, セーリング, and クルーザー. The meaning shifts from fast Dutch vessel to private or recreational craft. Modern Japanese ヨット often means a sailing boat for sport or leisure; powered craft are often specified as モーターヨット. English yacht can also mean a large private motor vessel, so the Japanese everyday range is often narrower and more sail-centered. A short example is ヨットで海に出る, to go out to sea on a yacht.