Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “porter” come from?

porter (French) comes from English porter, from Middle English porter, from Old French portour, from Old French porter, from Old French -ment, from Latin -mentum, from Latin -menta, from Proto-Indo-European -mn̥ — Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs.

porter (French): to carry; to support, to bear; to wear

Definitions

  1. to carry; to support, to bear; to wear

Ancestry of “porter”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishporterA person who carries luggage and related objects;...
2Middle Englishporter—
3Old Frenchportourcarrier; bearer
4Old Frenchporterto carry; to carry a child
5Old French-mentUsed to form adverbs, most of the time equivalent...
6Latin-mentuminstrument, medium, or result of; e.g....
7Latin-mentanominative plural of -mentum; accusative plural...
8Proto-Indo-European-mn̥Creates action nouns or result nouns from verbs

Words derived from “porter”

  • portmanteau
  • portage
  • reportage
  • LaPorte County
  • reportage
  • fotoreportage
  • репортаж
  • портфель
  • remporter
  • radioreporter
  • téléporter
  • reportage
  • portions
  • emporter
  • reporter
  • portance
  • porte-drapeau
  • emportement
  • portail
  • autoportante
  • publireportage
  • radioreportage
  • portefeuille
  • autoportant
Every word from Proto-Indo-European -mn̥ →