Where does “portly” come from?
Portly derives from English port, from Latin porta meaning gate or door, from Latin portare meaning to carry, from Proto-Indo-European per-.
portly (English): Somewhat fat, pudgy, overweight; Having a...
Definitions
- Somewhat fat, pudgy, overweight; Having a...
Ancestry of “portly”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Port | University of Portsmouth, used especially following post-nominal letters indicating status as a graduate |
| 2 | English | portfolio | A case for carrying papers, drawings,... |
| 3 | Italian | portafoglio | wallet, billfold; portfolio |
| 4 | Italian | foglio | sheet |
| 5 | Latin | folium | a leaf; a petal; a sheet or leaf of paper |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | *foljom | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰolh₃yom | leaf |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰleh₃- | bloom, flower |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |