Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “colporteur” come from?

colporteur (French) comes from French colporter, from Latin comportare, from Latin com-, from Latin con-, from Latin cum, from Old Latin com, from Proto-Italic kom, from Proto-Indo-European ḱóm — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

colporteur (French): peddler, hawker

Definitions

  1. peddler, hawker

Ancestry of “colporteur”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchcolporterto peddle; to hawk; to spread
2Latincomportarepresent active infinitive of comportō;...
3Latincom-allomorph of con-
4Latincon-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing...
5Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
6Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
7Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
9Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
10Middle Englishkyt—
11Germankitt—
12Old High Germankuti—
13Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
14Proto-Germanickweduzresin
15Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
16Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

Words derived from “colporteur”

  • colporteur
  • colportage
  • colporter
  • colportage
  • colporteux
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū- →