邮轮

[YuehanHao]

Seeing the word 邮轮 in the news lately (e.g., http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/) has had me idly wondering how this word might have come to be used to speak of a cruise ship.

I was tipped off that 轮 presumably derives from 轮船, but the 邮 still confuses me in this context. Could it be an association of ocean liners with carrying mail from overseas (one dictionary I have offers the definition "mail boat" for 邮轮)? Could it be a 同音 for 游轮, which on the surface seems to better express the significance (to a novice)?

Thanks if anyone can help me understand better.

[skylee]

Could it be a 同音 for 游轮, which on the surface seems to better express the significance (to a novice)?

I don't think so. I guess the term was coined this way because the first oceanliners also carried mail with them.

Also take a look at this -> http://www.youlunu.com/cultural.asp

邮轮起源于20世纪初，当时是作为运送跨洲邮件的交通工具，因此称作 “邮”字

[Iriya]

http://baike.baidu.com/view/162385.htm

古代邮轮是邮政部门专用的运输邮件的交通工具之一，并且同样运送旅客，但一般的邮轮均带有游览性质。

由于在邮递服务的初期，洲际的邮递服务，都是依靠邮务轮船将信件和包裹由此岸送到彼岸，这些英国轮船往往须要悬挂英国皇家邮政的信号旗。在1850年以后，英国皇家邮政允许私营船务公司以合约形式，帮助他们运载信件和包裹。这个转变，令一些原本只是载客船务公司旗下的载客远洋轮船，摇身一变成为悬挂信号旗的载客远洋邮务轮船。“远洋邮轮”一词，便因此诞生。

但由于后来喷气式民航客机的出现，远洋邮轮渐渐丧失它的载客、载货功能和竞争力；远洋邮轮的角色，亦由邮轮演变为只供游乐的游轮。所以严格上来说，现在一些旅程或长或短的玩乐式邮轮，由于丧失了运载信件和包裹的功能，只能称之为游轮，而不是邮轮。

Yes, the ocean liners were originally used to deliver mail overseas, but would take passengers with them as well. Chinese just retained their original name. Although, the article suggests that 邮轮 might as well be called 游轮 now, because it offers nothing but entertainment.