In the [[Royal Navy]] in the middle of the 18th century, the term '''Ordinaryordinary Seamanseaman''' was used to refer to a [[seaman]] with between one and two years' experience at sea, who showed enough [[seamanship]] to be so [[Naval Rating|rated]] by their captain. A seaman with less than a year's experience was referred to as a [[Landman (rank)|Landmanlandman]], and one with more than two years' experience was referred to as an [[Ableable Seamanseaman (rank)|Ableable Seamanseaman]].
Later, the term was formalized as a rating for the lowest normal grade of [[seaman]]. They are not trained in any special task. They are required to work at physically hard tasks of great variety. One needs an [[Ordinary Seaman Certificate]] to obtain work. One can become an Ableable Seamanseaman as a promotion from this position.
The term Ordinary''ordinary Seamanseaman'' is currently used in the Canadian and Irish Naval Forces (who inherited the military ranking structure from the previous generation of Royal Navy, Army, and Air Force ranks.) It denotes an enlistee who is currently in training as a Nonnon-Commissioncommission Membermember (NCM) of the Forces.
