He was so called because he was stationed amidships while on duty; who is he?
Etymology, Etymology, and more Etymology
as well as grammar, usage, euphemism, slang, jargon, semantics (meaning), linguistics, neologism, idiom, word origin, syntax, dialect, lexicon (vocabulary), diction, pidgin, synonym, antonym, homonym, cant, argot, lingo, and redundancy.

The critically-acclaimed board game MooT consists of tough questions about the nuances of the English language.
Answer: the midshipman
The first OED citation for the word is from 1601.
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