Where does “Portsmouth” come from?
Portsmouth derives from Middle English Portesmuða and Old English Portesmuða, compounds of Old English port from Latin porta, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European per- meaning to lead or pass through.
Portsmouth (English): OS grid ref SD9026
Definitions
- OS grid ref SD9026
Ancestry of “Portsmouth”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | Portesmuða | — |
| 2 | Old English | Portesmuða | — |
| 3 | Old English | port | a port, a haven; a town, particularly one with... |
| 4 | Latin | porta | gate, especially of a city; entrance, passage,... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |