# bitter end eye bolt



## spiraxo

καλησπέρα

I am looking for the Greek nautical term of this μαπα. It is the bolt that we connect the bitter end of ship's anchor chain. I am expecting something like "hirtsa". But I am not sure.





🙂


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## Helleno File

Hi spiraxo,

I have a query about the English term but must apologise in advance for my _complete_ ignorance of everything nautical. Is bitter end the correct nautical phrase - if it is I have learnt something! I usually understand "bitter end" as a fairly common phrase meaning an undesirable conclusion of an action, often seen as inevitable whatever someone does. Examples: "the war continued to its bitter end"; "the boxer fought to the bitter end, knowing he had lost". Sailors use a lot of English words in very specialised ways and this may be one! 

**Please don't let me distract from your main purpose of obtaining the correct Greek translation for the joint to a rope/chain.**


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## spiraxo

Helleno File said:


> ... Is bitter end the correct nautical phrase - if it is I have learnt something! I usually understand "bitter end" as a fairly common phrase...


Absolutely. In this case, it is the end of the anchor rope. 
🙂


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## Helleno File

Thanks spiraxo. I sometimes think I learn more about English on this forum than anywhere else! Good luck with the search.


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## apmoy70

spiraxo said:


> καλησπέρα
> 
> I am looking for the Greek nautical term of this μαπα. It is the bolt that we connect the bitter end of ship's anchor chain. I am expecting something like "hirtsa". But I am not sure.
> View attachment 75146
> 
> 🙂


The bolt is called *«πίρος»* (masc.) while the part called “dead eye” in the illustration, is called *«αγκύλιο»* /aɲˈɟilio/ (neut.) the neuter diminutive of the Ancient Greek feminine *«ἀγκύλη»*
​


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## spiraxo

Thank you for replying. 

The function of this eye bolt is more important than its shape or type. It is the part of the ground tackle. It is located only in the chain locker. There is no other μαπα (mapa in Turkish, has the same pronunciation) with the same name on the ship, at least on Turkish ships. Perhaps it is a loan-word from Greek. We call it _hırça mapası_. 

 🙂


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## apmoy70

spiraxo said:


> Thank you for replying.
> 
> The function of this eye bolt is more important than its shape or type. It is the part of the ground tackle. It is located only in the chain locker. There is no other μαπα (mapa in Turkish, has the same pronunciation) with the same name on the ship, at least on Turkish ships. Perhaps it is a loan-word from Greek. We call it _hırça mapası_.
> 
> 🙂


Ι'm no nautical jargon expert, I just consulted an online dictionary of the most common sea terms. The terms I posted are probably the "formal" ones. 
Actually, μάπα (and probably the Turkish mapa too) are form the Latin _mappa_ which described the _bow_, the final part in a traditional key. Ιn Byzantine Greek it was known as μάππα:


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## spiraxo

Thanks for your efforts. I did not know its origin.
Since the second word of the term is Greek, I just decided to take my chance here.


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