The words port and starboard are used to describe the left and right sides of a vessel, respectively. When looking forward from the stern (back) of the boat, port is on the left and starboard is on the right. The terms come from Old English and originally referred to loading cargo onto a ship; items that were to be loaded on the left side of the ship were said to be for port while those for the right side were said to be for starboard. The term port has also been used throughout history as a maritime city where ships dock.