 To achieve this the Dunkirkers developed small, maneuverable, sailing vessels that came to be referred to as frigates.The success of these Dunkirker vessels influenced the ship design of other navies contending with them, but because most regular navies required ships of greater endurance than the Dunkirker frigates could provide, the term soon came to apply less exclusively to any relatively fast and elegant sail-only warship.In French, the term "frigate" gave rise to a verb – "frégater", meaning 'to build long and low', and to an adjective, adding more confusion.