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| The real source of “catamaran” |
Many dictionaries will tell you that the Tamil language of India is the source of this name of a type of boat.
But there is a more interesting folk etymology that might or might not be the real source of the word: according to one theory, catamaran was rooted in the Italian term gatta marina, meaning “marine cat.” The gatta marina was a boat that would not tip over, just as a cat would always land on his feet.
