-port- (etymology)

Several English words include the element -port-, even discounting such elements as portion, which comes from ptō ratiōne, 'in the ratio'. 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 (also an irregular verb - phero, ’οίσω, ’ηνεγκα), 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.

word	derivation (Latin unless stated)	meaning	meaning explained	Notes
airport	portus	safe landing area for aircraft	by extension from port (n. 1)
carport
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comport (vb	portāre	to bear oneself	cum, 'with' is often reflexive	The noun is obsolete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
deport (vb (1)	portāre	to send [a person] abroad; to banish	de- as 'off' or 'away'
deportment	portāre	behavious, bearing		Mostly with regard to physical stance
deport (vb (2)	portāre	to bear oneself, behave		Obsolete. Comport is better as a verb
disport	portāre
export	portāre	[to] trade abroad		See Import (meaning).
fireport	porta	opening to shoot through
gunport	porta	Opening to shoot through
import	portāre	inward trade		See Import (meaning).
important
importune	portus, via Portunus
importunate	portus, via Portunus
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
port (n. 1	portus
port (n. 2)	portis	an opening
port (adj.)	portus OR porta	haven, harbour		See port - starboard
port (vb.)	portāre	to carry (obs.)		Used for military drill - to port armns is to hold rifle slantwise in front of body
portable	portāre
porthole	portus	ship's 'window', usually circular
purport
rapport	portāre
report	portāre
sport
support

• 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'.

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