- port
- {{11}}port (1) "harbor," O.E. port "harbor, haven," reinforced by O.Fr. port, both O.E. and O.Fr. from L. portus "port, harbor," originally "entrance, passage," from PIE *prtu- "a going, a passage," from root *per- "to lead, pass over" (Cf. Skt. parayati "carries over;" Gk. poros "journey, passage, way," peirein "to pierce, run through;" L. porta "gate, door," portare "passage," peritus "experienced;" Avestan peretush "passage, ford, bridge;" Armenian hordan "go forward;" Welsh rhyd "ford;" O.C.S. pariti "fly;" O.E. faran "to go, journey," O.N. fjörðr "inlet, estuary").Meaning "left side of a ship" is attested from 1540s, from notion of "the side facing the harbor" (when a ship is docked). It replaced LARBOARD (Cf. larboard) in common usage to avoid confusion with STARBOARD (Cf. starboard); officially so by Admiralty order of 1844 and U.S. Navy Department notice of 1846. Figurative sense "place of refuge" is attested from early 15c.; phrase any port in a storm first recorded 1749.{{12}}port (2) "gateway," O.E., from O.Fr. porte "gate, entrance," from L. porta "gate, door," from PIE root *per- (see PORT (Cf. port) (1)). Specific meaning "porthole, opening in the side of a ship" is attested from mid-13c.{{12}}port (3) "bearing, mien," mid-14c., from O.Fr. port, from porter "to carry," from L. portare (see PORT (Cf. port) (1)).{{13}}port (4) "sweet dark-red wine," 1690s, shortened from Oporto, city in northwest Portugal from which the wine was originally shipped, from O Porto "the port."
Etymology dictionary. 2014.