Where does “portmote” come from?
portmote (English) comes from English port, from Portuguese Porto, from Old Portuguese porto, from Latin Portus Cale, from Latin Portus, from Proto-Italic portus, from Proto-Indo-European pértus, from Proto-Indo-European per- — passed , crossed.
portmote (English): A court, or mote, held in a port town
Definitions
- A court, or mote, held in a port town
Ancestry of “portmote”, step by step
portmote traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English port
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | port | A place on the coast at which ships can shelter,... |
| 2 | Portuguese | Porto | Oporto |
| 3 | Old Portuguese | porto | — |
| 4 | Latin | Portus Cale | Oporto |
| 5 | Latin | Portus | ” or, later, “Portus Rōmae”}} Portus large artificial harbour of Ancient Rome |
| 6 | Proto-Italic | portus | harbour |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | pértus | crossing |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |
via English mote
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | mote | A small particle; a speck; May or might; Must |
| 2 | English | motte | A raised earth mound, often topped with a wooden... |
| 3 | French | motte | motte; clod, lump of earth; block |
| 4 | Old French | mote | mound, embankment |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | mota | a mound, hill; nominative feminine singular of... |
| 6 | Frankish | *mot | — |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | *motta | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | mutô | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)mut- | dark, dirty |