The story
- Old Norse · derived frombálkr“partition”
- English todaybulkhead
From Old Norse bálkr (“partition”) + head, anglicised as bulk + head.
Words from the same roots
Old Norsebálkr all →
balkBalke
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
bulkhead
Today it means: A vertical partition dividing the hull into separate compartments; often made watertight to prevent excessive flooding if the ship's hull is breached. Full definition →
Old Norse bálkr