'boatman' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'bātmann,' where 'bāt' meant 'boat' and 'mann' meant 'man.'

'bātmann' transformed into the Middle English word 'booteman,' and eventually became the modern English word 'boatman.'

Initially, it meant 'a man who works on a boat,' and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.