Where does “portrait” come from?
Portrait comes from Middle French portraict, from Middle French portraire meaning to draw or depict, from Latin protraho meaning to draw forth, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European roots per- and bʰuH-.
portrait (English): A painting or other picture of a person,...
Definitions
- A painting or other picture of a person,...
Ancestry of “portrait”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | portraict | — |
| 2 | Middle French | portraire | to portray |
| 3 | Latin | protraho | I drag, pull, draw or bring forth or out; I bring... |
| 4 | Latin | prō- | forward direction, forward movement |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | *pro- | pro- see the Latin entry for further meanings |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pro- | toward, forward |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | por- | to give birth; forward, through; going, passage |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | per- | before, in front; first; to go through |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | pr̥tós | passed , crossed |