Tag Archives: m’aider

HAPPY MAY DAY

It is May 1st.  Happy May Day!

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Where did the nautical term, “Mayday,” originate?

Mayday is an emergency distress signal used in radio communications. 

The term comes from the French word, “m’aider” (pronounced “mayDAY”).  As a distress call, it is always repeated 3 times.  It is universally recognized.  When only used once (as in, “Mayday,” versus “Mayday Mayday Mayday”), it is used to discuss an actual distress call that is under investigation.

DOES IT MEAN THE SAME THING IN FRENCH?

M’aider in French means “help me.”   In France, it is not considered a distress call.  It is a commonplace “help me,” as in, “can you help me do this?”

WHEN IS MAY DAY USEFUL?

Although it’s a rare occurrence to hear this call on a luxury yacht charter vacation, this surely would have been used during the sinking of superyacht Yogi.

Interested in learning more nautical terminology?

In conclusion, if you’d like to learn more nautical terminology or book your own private yacht vacation, contact 1-800 Yacht Charters today.  Call or click https://1800yachtcharters.com/book-now-contact-us/

This entry was posted in News Frequently Asked Questions Educational Yacht Charter and tagged May 1, the sinking of Yogi, charteryacht distress, Yogi, May Day, meaning of nautical term, terms, terminology, sinking of superyacht, what does the term mean?, m'aider, why is it called SOS