portolan

noun /ˈpɔːtələn/

1. A chart of European navigable waters based on descriptions of coasts.

   historical

   Portolans are as old as the European mariner's magnetic compass, and for about two centuries the two depended on each other for the growth and safe passage of Mediterranean trade.

Where it comes from

From French portulan, from Italian portolano.

Adapted from the Wiktionary entry portolan (CC BY-SA 4.0).

← porticusportreeve →

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