Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "Lascar" tana nufin wani jirgin ruwa ko jirgin ruwa daga Kudancin Asiya ko yankin Indiya, musamman daga Indiya, wanda ke aiki a cikin jiragen ruwa na Turai ko Amurka. An yi amfani da kalmar da yawa a lokacin mulkin mallaka don bayyana ma'aikatan jirgin ruwa na Indiya da kudu maso gabashin Asiya waɗanda suka yi aiki a kan jiragen ruwa na Birtaniya, Portuguese, Dutch, da Faransanci. Kalmar "Lascar" ta samo asali ne daga kalmar Farisa "lashkar," wanda ke nufin "runduna" ko "sansani."