-port- (etymology)

Several English words include the element -port-, even when ignore those that contain such elements as portion, which comes from ptō tatiōne, 'in the ratio'. Most come from originals with the four letters -port-. 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. Porta means a 'door, gate[way]', and, like portus, a 'harbour, haven or port', is derived from an older root por, meaning 'to pierce': the basic meaning of each is 'entry'.

There is a Greek verb phero (φέρω), meaning: to bear, carry, convey, suffer, endure, produce, i.e., virtually the same meanings as fero. Like fero, it is a defective verb with forms only for the present and imperfect - oiso (’οίσω) is used for the future, and enenka (’ηνεγκα) for the aorist. It regularly produces adjectives with the -phoros (-φόρος) suffix, such as nosephoros (νοσηφόρος, disease-bringing), thanatophoros (θανατοφόρος) or thanatephoros (θανατηφόρος, death-bringing) and hupnophoros (‘υπνοφόρος, sleep-bringing). So although Christophoros doesn't appear in Liddell and Scott, it is well-formed.

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