serang

The serang commands his crew on the ship's deck.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A boatswain or head of a crew of native sailors, especially in South Asia: "serang" refers to the leader or foreman of a group of lascars (Indian or Southeast Asian sailors) on a ship, typically serving under European officers.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The serang shouted orders to the lascars as they prepared to weigh anchor. (The head sailor directed the native crew members.)
  • In colonial-era shipping, the serang was responsible for discipline among the Indian crew. (The serang managed the native sailors.)

Advanced Usage

• "Serang" in historical context: The term is primarily found in historical accounts of British or European merchant vessels operating in the Indian Ocean, where a hierarchy placed a serang above ordinary lascars.
  • The serang reported directly to the ship's boatswain. (The head of the native crew reported to the European officer.)

Variants and Related Words

• Serang (noun): No common variants; the word is borrowed from Hindi/Urdu "sarhang" (सरहंग / سرہنگ), meaning "commander" or "leader."
• Lascar (noun): A native sailor from India or Southeast Asia, often under a serang.
  • The lascars worked under the serang's supervision. (The native sailors were managed by their leader.)

Synonyms

• Boatswain: a ship's officer in charge of equipment and the crew (though "serang" specifically denotes a native leader).
• Foreman: a person who supervises a group of workers.

Phrasal Verbs

• None directly associated with "serang."

Related Idioms

• None directly associated with "serang."