Etymograph

English

Port au Choix

Port au Choix comes from Basque portu ‘port, harbour’, from Proto-Indo-European *pértus ‘crossing’, and ultimately from *per- ‘to fare’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to fare’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pértus‘crossing’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*portus‘harbour’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEportus‘harbor, port’
  5. Basquemodernportu‘port, harbour’
  6. Frenchc. 1600–presentPort au Choix
  7. Englishtodaysame form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to fare’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pértus‘crossing’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*portus‘harbour’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEportus‘harbor, port’
  5. Basquemodernportu‘port, harbour’
  6. Frenchc. 1600–presentPort au Choix
  7. Englishtodaysame form

The story

The Basque toponym was reinterpreted to French port (‘port’) and choix (‘choice’).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to fare’

first, before, far, per, price, private, further, press, support, practice, fear, pre, report, primary, prime, appreciate, prior, prize, pregnant, practical, afford, precious, transport, praise, sport, interpretation, importance, privilege, parade, par, forth, ferry, pirate, fare, pardon, export, primitive, import, prix, portable, 151 more

through Proto-Indo-European *pértus ‘crossing’

ford, firth, fjord, 8 more

through Proto-Italic *portus ‘harbour’

inopportune, 7 more

through Latin portus ‘harbor, port’

opportunity, opportunist, opportune, opportunism, 8 more

Today it means

name A town in Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *per- / Port au Choix

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