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The German term "Windjammer" translates literally to "wind whiner" or "wind lamentor" as the crews of these ships were very unhappy when there was no wind.
According to Wikipedia, Windjammer is a term of English origin:
Yes, the introduction of steel to sail boat construction allowed bullders to blow previous size constraints out of the water. They were considered big and ugly. IRC Windjammer was an insulting name because they didn't look like elegant craft that rode the wind, but wind jammers.
Compared to their wooden counterparts, windjammers may not be quite as elegant, but I find some of them quite attractive. E.g. Christian Radich.
That ship, btw, was the star in the 1958 film Windjammer. Shot in Cinemiracle, it is well worth a watch.
