Forms: 6 ragusye, arguze, 6–7 argose, 7 (rhaguse, ragosie,) argosea, argosey, argozee, 6–9 argosie, 7– argosy. [App. ad. It. Ragusea, pl. Ragusee, i.e., una (nave or caracca) Ragusea, a Ragusan (vessel or carack), best repr. by the earliest form ragusye; the transposition in argosea, arguse, argozee, etc., is no doubt connected with the fact that Ragusa (in Venetian, Ragusi) itself appears in 16th-c. English as Aragouse, Arragouese, Arragosa. Cf. also the prec. word, in which Argosine seems to represent It. Ragusino, synonym of Raguseo.
That argosies were reputed to take their name from Ragusa, is stated by several writers of 17th c.; and the derivation is made inductively certain by investigations made for us by Mr. A. J. Evans, showing the extent of Ragusan trade with England, and the familiarity of Englishmen with the Ragusee or large and richly freighted merchant ships of Ragusa, ‘Argosies with portly saile, Like Signiors and rich Burgers on the flood [which] ouer-peere the pettie Traffiquers That curtsie to them, do them reuerence, As they flye by them with their wouen wings.’ (Shaks., Merch. V., I. i. 9.) No reference to the ship Argo is traceable in the early use of the word.]
[a. 1500. Palladius Fuscus (of Padua), De Situ oræ Illyricæ, I. Nulla Europæ pars adeo abdita est … ut in ea Ragusinos non invenias negotiantes.
1517. Sir R. Torkington, Pilgrimage (1884), 16. The most strong and myȝghty towne called Aragouse.]
1518. Diario di Marco Samudo (Feb.). Una (nave) Ragusea presa per esso corsaro.
Hist. and poet. A merchant-vessel of the largest size and burden; esp. those of Ragusa and Venice.
1577. Dee, Mem. Perf. Art Navig., 9. Ragusyes, Hulks, Caruailes, and other forrein rich laden ships.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 313/2. A great argosie … hauing streamers and flags verie warlike, with two boats at either sterne.
1590. Greene, Wks. (Gros.), VII. 224. All the Argoses, Gallyes, Galeons, and Pataches in Venice.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., II. 376, etc. What! haue I choakt you with an Argosie?
1600. Hakluyt, Voy. (1810), III. 373. The greatest shippes of France, yea, the Arguzes of Venice may enter in there.
1608. Chapman, Byron’s Conspir. A full-saild Argosea.
1627. N. Burley, in Smith, Seaman’s Gram., A ij. The Argozees first the Illyrians made.
1638. L. Roberts, Map of Commerce, 237. Rhagusa … from hence was the original of those great ships here built, and in old times vulgarly called Argoses properly Rhaguses.
1668. Rycaut, Ottoman Emp. (1675), xiv. 119. It is said that those vast Caracks called Argosies, which are so much famed for the vastness of their burthen and Bulk, were corruptly so denominated from Ragosies, and from the name of this city.
1841–6. Longf., Belfr. Bruges, xii. Venetian merchants with deep-laden argosies.
b. transf. or fig.
1621. Donne, Serm., lxx. (1640), 716. If St. Paul, so great an Argosie, held no more but Christum Crucifixum, what can thy Pinnace hold?
1801. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1830), III. 454. The tough sides of our Argosie have been thoroughly tried.
1873. Higginson, Oldport Days, i. 16. Wagons of sea-weed just from the beach … each weed an argosy.
