Where does “portal” come from?
I need to analyze this chain carefully, as it appears problematic.
The chain given is:
English hole | Latin porta | Latin portare | Proto-Indo-European per- | Latin oleum | Ancient Greek ἔλαιον | Latin oleum | Proto-Indo-European -kos
This chain doesn't make coherent sense. It jumps between unrelated etymological paths (porta/portare relate to "carry/door," while oleum relates to "oil"). The chain also lists Latin oleum twice and ends with a suffix rather than a root.
For the headword "portal" (meaning a door, gate, or entrance), the actual etymology would be:
English portal ← Old French portal ← Latin portālis ← Latin porta (door/gate)
However, I'm instructed to state only what the chain supports and not invent steps. Given the problematic nature of the provided chain, I
portal (English): An entrance, entry point, or means of entry; A...
Definitions
- An entrance, entry point, or means of entry; A...
Ancestry of “portal”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | portal | — |
| 2 | Old French | portal | gate |
| 3 | Old French | porte | door |
| 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 |
Words derived from “portal”