S H I P

My favorite English word is “ship”. As a noun, a ship is a vessel that travels across the water. In the early days of seafaring, travelers such as the Odysseus and the Vikings used the winds to travel long distances, and it often happens that they were driven off course during a storm, when their ships would dance on the waves like nutshells. Other nations, such as the Mayas, never lost sight of the coast when they navigated the seas. The reasons for crossing the waters varied and included fishing, trading, exploring new territories, emigrating, robbing, and doing scientific research. Many seamen became famous and were considered heroes, but most of them were just doing a job, I suppose. What I like about ships is the idea that people on board must organize themselves in order to survive. Working relationships must be defined. Ah, and there it is again, my favorite word, this time as a suffix. It describes a state of being of the word that precedes it. Thus, a relationship means the state of having a connection. Thus, the word “ship” is a word that fits into the language in more than one place. As a matter of fact, it can also be used as a verb. This versatility, movement, and a little exoticness make “ship” the word I like best in English.