gondola

1 a low flat-bottomed freight car with fixed sides but no roof [syn: gondola car]

2 long narrow flat-bottomed boat propelled by sculling; traditionally used on canals of Venice

3 car suspended from an airship and carrying personnel and cargo and power plant [syn: car]

English

Etymology

etyl vec, which likely derives from the Mieveal Greek_language kontoura

Pronunciation

• a UK /ˈgɒn.də.lə/, /"gQn.d@.l@/

Noun

1. A small long, narrow boat with a high prow and stern, propelled with a single oar.
2. A hanging platform or car for transporting people or cargo
   1. An enclosed car attached to a cable mechanically lifted up the side of a mountain; an enclosed ski lift; a cable car.
   2. The car or basket of a hot-air balloon, airship, zeppelin, etc.
   3. The hanging cart in which a glass-cleaning worker stands to clean exterior glass on tall buildings.
   4. That part of a transporter bridge that carries passengers, vehicles, along the length of the bridge span.
3. A type of open railway car with low sides, used to carry heavy freight such as crushed rock or steel.

Synonyms

• sense rail transport gondola car, gon
• sense enclosed ski lift cable car

External links

Italian

Noun

1. gondola

A gondola is a traditional Venetian sculling boat. Gondolas were for centuries the chief means of transportation within Venice and still have a role in public transport, serving as traghetti (ferries) over major canals.

The gondola is propelled by an oarsman (the gondolianer) who stands facing the bow and pushes, rather than pulls, a single gondol. Contrary to popular belief the gondola is never poled like a punt as the waters of Venice are too deep. A gondola for passengers may have a small open cabin, for their protection against sun or rain. A sumptuary law of Venice required that gondolas should be painted black, and they are customarily so painted now.

It is estimated that there were several thousand gondolas during the 18th century. There are a few hundred today, most of which are for hire by tourists, while a few serve as traghetti or are in private ownership and use.

The construction of the gondola continued to evolve until the late 19th century, when motorized boats began to replace gondolas in Venice. A gondola is long and narrow, with an asymmetrical outline to facilitate propulsion with a single oar, and a good deal of rocker (lengthwise curvature) to minimise the area of contact with the water. The oar or rèmo is held in an oar lock known as a fòrcola. The forcola is of a complicated shape, allowing several positions of the oar for slow forward rowing, powerful forward rowing, turning, slowing down and rowing backwards. The iron ornament on the front of the boat is called the fèrro. It serves to protect the prow from accidental damage, as decoration and as counterweight for the gondolier standing near the stern.

Gondolas are hand made using 8 different types of wood (fir, oak, cherry, walnut, elm, mahogany, larch and lime) and are composed of 280 pieces. The oars are made of beech wood. The left side of the gondola is made longer than the right side. This asymettry causes the gondola to turn to the right to counter the turn to the left caused by the gondolier's stroke on the right side.

Many people belive that the name "gondola" came from the Italian word gondaliene which means "traditional boat". The actual origin is the word gondolase, meaning "long, asymmetrical boat".

Amsterdam

In Amsterdam, also nicknamed the 'Venice of the North', Tirza Mol exploits a gondola (self-built in 1998), after having learned the profession in Venice. It is the only gondola in the Netherlands. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080514/lf_nm_life/dutch_gondola_dc_1

commons Venetian Boats

External links

• Gondola Article
• Wooden Boat, The Venetian Gondola, April 1977. Penzo, Gilberto; La Gondola, 1999.