Etymograph

English

port

Port comes from Old English port, borrowed from Latin portus ‘harbour’, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pértus ‘crossing’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to fare, cross’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‘harbour, port’
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150port‘a port, haven’
  6. Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to fare, cross’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‘harbour, port’
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150port‘a port, haven’
  6. Englishearliest quotation c. 1596–1598same form

Earliest quotation: c. 1596–1598, William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice: “peering in maps for ports and piers and roads”.

The story

The directional sense, attested since at least the 1500s, derives from ancient vessels with the steering oar on the right (see etymology of starboard), which therefore had to moor with their left sides facing the dock or wharf.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *per-

first, before, far, per, price, private, press, practice, further, fear, pre, primary, prime, appreciate, prize, pregnant, prior, practical, precious, praise, afford, interpretation, privilege, parade, par, ferry, pirate, importance, fare, pardon, primitive, prix, forth, interpreter, pragmatic, privy, prism, proton, peril, depreciation, 150 more

through Proto-Indo-European *pértus ‘crossing’

ford, firth, fjord, 7 more

through Proto-Italic *portus ‘harbour’

inopportune, 6 more

through Latin portus ‘port, harbour’

opportunity, opportunist, opportune, opportunism, 7 more

Another origin of port

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to pass through/over’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pr̥téh₂reconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*portā‘gate’reconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEporta‘passage, gate’
  5. Old Englishc. 450–1150port‘portal’
  6. Englishtodaysame form

Another origin of port

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-‘to lead, cross over, pass’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*pr̥téh₂uncertain
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*portā‘crossing’uncertain
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*portāō‘to carry’uncertain
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEportōas portāre‘carry’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400porter‘to carry’
  7. Englishtodayport

Another origin of port

  1. Portuguesec. 1500–presentPorto
  2. Englishtodayport

Named from Portuguese Porto, a city in Portugal where the wines were originally shipped from.

Today it means

noun A place on the coast at which ships can shelter, or dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.

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

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

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