Etymograph

English

pore

Pore comes from Old French pore, from Latin porus ‘pore, passage in the body’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to pass, go forth’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to pass, go forth’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pér-ye-tireconstructedye-present of *per-
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*péryōreconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπείρωpeírō‘to pierce, to run through’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπόροςpóros‘passage’o-grade of πείρω
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEporus‘pore, passage in the body’
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400pore
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1903same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to pass, go forth’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pér-ye-tireconstructedye-present of *per-
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*péryōreconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEπείρωpeírō‘to pierce, to run through’
  5. Ancient Greek, derivedc. 800–300 BCEπόροςpóros‘passage’o-grade of πείρω
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEporus‘pore, passage in the body’
  7. Old Frenchc. 842–1400pore
  8. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1903same form

Earliest quotation: 1903, Ray Smith Bassler, The Structural Features of the Bryozoan Genus Homotrypa: “Under certain conditions tangential sections indicate that the zoœcial…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to pass, go forth’

first, far, per, before, further, price, private, practice, support, fear, primary, press, prime, prize, opportunity, appreciate, prior, practical, pre, report, pregnant, praise, afford, transport, privilege, parade, importance, par, ford, precious, interpretation, forth, sport, ferry, pirate, port, pardon, primitive, prix, fare, 155 more

through Ancient Greek πείρω ‘to pierce, to run through’

prismatic, prion, 13 more

through Ancient Greek πόρος ‘passage’

emporium, 6 more

through Latin porus ‘pore, passage in the body’

porous, 2 more

Another origin of pore

  1. Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*pūrōn‘to look into, scrutinise’reconstructed
  2. Old Englishc. 450–1150*pūrian‘to look into, investigate’reconstructed
  3. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500poren
  4. Englishtodaypore

Today it means

noun A tiny opening in the skin.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *per- / pore

Shirt and support for this word