-port- (etymology)

Several English words include the element -port-, even discounting such elements as portion, which comes from proportione, in itself probably formed from prō ratiōne, 'in the ratio'; and portray, with the related noun portrait, which come from French por (modern pour), Latin pro, and traire, 'to draw'. Most come from originals with the four letters -port- as a unit.. These can confuse non-native learners at times, and their history may be interesting to native speakers; so some notes are given here. They come in essence from three Latin roots, two linked.

• Portāre means 'to carry, bring' (cf French porter), and is the most productive root. (In Latin, the irregular verb fero, ferre, tuli, latum was more often used for this meaning, and there are cognates in many languages: Greek φέρω, phero (also an irregular verb , φέρω, ἐνήνοχᾰ, ἐνήνεγμαι), root of the name Christopher, derived from the legend of a man who carried the Christ-child on his shoulder - Christo-phoros, 'Christ-bearing'); and Sanskrit vhri.
• Porta means a 'door, gate[way]', French la porte. This gives us such simple words as 'portal' and 'portico' (and its more 'native' form 'porch'), 'portal'. It shares its derivation (por) with the following:
• portus, a 'harbour, haven or port', is derived from an older root por or par, meaning 'to pierce': the basic meaning of each is 'entry', 'gap' (in a wall, or a coast). The word influenced the name of a Roman god Portunus (earlier Portumnes, Portunes, the god of locks and keys, i.e. of doors - portas), to whom one could pray. In his later form, he might give fortunate or unfortunate weather to sailors approaching harbour.

word	derivation (Latin unless stated)	meaning	meaning explained	Notes
airport	portus	safe landing area for aircraft	by extension from port (n. 1)
carport	portus	shelter for a car, opening into a house	1) 'opening (in house)'; 2) 'haven' for a car	earliest recorded 1939
colporteur	porter (French)	itinerant vendor of papers or books (esp. Bibles)	col = 'neck'
comport (vb)	portāre	to bear oneself	cum, 'with' is often reflexive	The noun is obsolete
comportment (n)	portāre	behaviour, bearing		obsolete; "rare" - OED. Deportment is better
deport (vb (1))	portāre	to send [a person] abroad; to banish	de- as 'off' or 'away'	Associated n. deportation
deport (vb (2))	portāre	to bear oneself, behave	de- as 'formally', 'completely', 'thoroughly'	Obs. Comport now a better verb assoc. n. deportment
deportment	portāre	behaviour, bearing		Mostly with regard to physical stance
desport	portāre	older form of disport
disport	portāre	to cease working, relax, to amuse or divert oneself	Lat. dis- 'away from', 'different from'	Obsolete. Modern aphetic sport 'to unburden oneself', 'lay down one's burden'
entry port	porta	opening to a ship for entry etc.		On upper deck, a 'gate' in the railing; to lower decks, a 'door' in ship's side
export (vb. & n.)	portāre	[to] trade abroad	ex- 'from'	See Import (meaning).
gunport	porta	Opening to shoot through	a 'porthole' for a gun	historical. Since 2oth cent., guns have been mounted in turrets.
heliport	portus	small 'airport' for helicopters	by extension from port (n. 1)
import (vb. & n.)	portāre	inward trade	im- (in-) as 'inwards'	See Import (meaning).
important	portāre, via Import (meaning)	'having weight', 'bearing upon'	im- as 'on'	See Import (meaning).
importune	portus, via Portunus	a) 'to ask or beg in an insistent manner'; b) 'to pester'; c) 'to solicit as a prostitute'	a) may be how Romans "in peril on the deep" cried to their god, giving rise to b); c) is a criminal offence in the UK
importunate	portus, via Portunus	'in an insistent manner'	as above	The n. is importunity.
importuning	portus, via Portunus	solicitation, as a prostitute		a criminal offence in the UK
opportune	ob- + portus, via Portunus	appropriate, lucky; 'well-timed'	ob- 'in the direction of'; Portunus, Roman god of ports	So, fortunate and fitting
opportunity	portus, via Portunus	a favourable or lucky occasion to do something	The god Portunus gives good luck
port (n. 1)	portus	a harbour or haven; port		Element in some place names,e.g. Portsmouth, entry to [natural] harbour
port (n. 2)	portus	an opening		a) Used in ships for openings in sides. Cf gunport, entry port, etc openings in computers, etc, to receive connections
port (n. 3)	Porto (Portuguese)	Type of (fortified) wine	Traded from the town called Oporto in English	The town is Porto in its own language
port (adj.)	portus OR porta	'left-hand'; from haven, harbour		See port - starboard
port (vb. 1)	portāre	to carry (obs.)		Used for military drill - to port arms is to hold rifle diagonally in front of body
port (vb. 2)	portāre	to transfer software from one computer to another
portable	portāre	[small enough to be able to be carried easily		Also (of software) transferable between one computer and another (cf port vb. 2) |
portage	portāre via porter (French)	the carrying of a canoe etc across land e.g. between rivers or past obstacles in the water		term from European exploration of N. America
portcullis	porta, via porte (French)	vertically sliding 'gate' usually an iron grill		porta in grooves (coulisses, from French vb. couler 'to flow'.
porter	1) portare 2) porta	1) one who carries things for hire; 2) one who guards a door, 'door-keeper'		Porters at Oxbridge Colleges are doorkeepers (prestigious), as opposed to porters at railway stations, who are little respected
porter (2)	indirectly portāre	a dark kind of beer	named because it was a favourite refreshment among street porters - porters' ale
porthole	portus	ship's 'window', usually circular
portmanteau	portāre via French porter	type of suitcase	for carrying a manteau (French, = mantle, cloak or coat	See also portmanteau word for a fig. use.
purport (n.)	portāre	the meaning		orig. Lat. proportāre', classically praeportāre: 'to carry in front'
purport vb.	portāre	to seem to mean; to claim or pretend to be		The verb has a stronger connotation of doubt than the noun
rapport (n.)	rapporter (French vb.	a good relationship; mutual understanding or sympathy		See also rapport (pronunciation)
rapport (vb.)	portāre	['to report']		Obsolete spelling of report
rapporteur	portāre, via French rapporter, rapport	person who gives an official account of an official committee or working party	May be a form of Minutes Secretary, or, more prestigiously, the representative of some high body. e.g. the UN
report	portāre	to give an account of	'to bring back (Lat. re-)
reporter	portāre	one who brings back an account	specifically, one employed to communicate news
seaport	portus	a port (n. 1); a harbour		used since 1600 in Scotland, later further south. More necessary since airport
sport	portāre	organised form of competitive exercise	relaxation; recreation; game as noun and verb	aphetic for disport |
support	portāre'	to hold up;	sub 'under' + portāre = 'to bear up (carry) from below	Both lit. & fig. |
teleport	portāre	'to beam matter across space'	Greek tele- (τηλε-) '[from] afar'	Term invented in Science Fiction
transport	portāre	1) 'to carry' See also transport (meaning)	trans- 'across'	See a note on the pronunciation