Etymology dictionary

pop (v.) — positivity (n.)

pop (v.)

mid-15c., "to strike so as to cause to make a short, quick sound;" intransitive sense "make a short, quick sound" is from 1570s; imitative. Of eyes, "to protrude" (as if about to burst), from 1670s. Sense of "to appear or to put with a quick, sudden motion" (often with up, off, in, etc.) is recorded from mid-15c. Baseball sense of "to hit a ball high in the air" is from 1867. To pop the question is from 1725, specific sense of "propose marriage" is from 1826. Related: Popped; popping.

popcorn (n.)

1819, type of Indian corn suitable for popping, from pop (v.) + corn (n.1). To pop corn "parch or roast corn kernels until they burst open" is by 1847.

pope (n.)

"the Bishop of Rome as head of the Roman Catholic Church," c. 1200, from Old English papa (9c.), from Church Latin papa "bishop, pope" (in classical Latin, "tutor"), from Greek papas "patriarch, bishop," originally "father" (see papa).

Applied to bishops of Asia Minor and taken as a title by the Bishop of Alexandria c. 250. In the Western Church, applied especially to the Bishop of Rome since the time of Leo the Great (440-461), the first great asserter of its privileges, and claimed exclusively by them from 1073 (usually in English with a capital P-). Popemobile, his car, is from 1979. Pope's nose for "fleshy part of the tail of a bird" is by 1895. Papal, papacy, later acquisitions in English, preserve the original vowel.

pop-eyed (adj.)

"having full, bulging, or prominent eyes," 1820; see pop (v.) + -eyed.

popery (n.)

"doctrines, customs, ceremonies, etc. of the Pope or the Roman Catholic Church," 1530s, a hostile coinage of the Reformation, from pope + -ery. Earlier, non-hostile words along the same sense lines were popedom (Old English) "the office or dignity of a Pope;" popehood (Old English papan-had) "condition of being Pope."

pop-gun (n.)

type of child's toy, 1620s, from pop (n.1) + gun (n.). So called from the sound of the compressed air released when it is fired.

popinjay (n.)

early 14c., papejaye (late 13c. as a surname), "a parrot," from Old French papegai (12c.), from Spanish papagayo, from Arabic babagha', Persian babgha "parrot," a word possibly formed in an African or other non-Indo-European language and imitative of its cry. The ending probably was assimilated in Western European languages to "jay" words (Old French jai, etc.).

Used of people in a complimentary sense (in allusion to beauty and rarity) from early 14c.; meaning "vain, talkative person" is recorded frpm 1520s. Obsolete figurative sense of "a target to shoot at" is explained by Cotgrave's 2nd sense definition: "also a woodden parrot (set up on the top of a steeple, high tree, or pole) whereat there is, in many parts of France, a generall shooting once euerie yeare; and an exemption, for all that yeare, from La Taille, obtained by him that strikes downe" all or part of the bird.

popish (adj.)

"of or pertaining to the Pope or the Roman Catholic Church," 1520s, a hostile coinage from Pope + -ish.

poplar (n.)

type of tree of rapid growth and moderate size, noted for light, soft wood and often planted for shade or ornament, mid-14c., from Anglo-French popler, from Old French poplier (13c., Modern French peuplier), from Latin pōpulus "poplar" (with a long "o;" not the same word that produced popular), which is of unknown origin, possibly from a PIE tree-name root *p(y)el- (source also of Greek pelea "elm"). Italian pioppo, Spanish chopo, German pappel, Old Church Slavonic topoli all are from Latin. The tall, columnar or spire-shaped variety are Lombardy poplars.

poplin (n.)

type of corded fabric having a silk warp and a weft of wool heavier than the silk, 1710, from French papeline "cloth of fine silk and worsted" (1660s), probably from Provençal papalino, fem. of papalin "of or belonging to the pope," from Medieval Latin papalis "papal" (see papal). The reference is to Avignon, papal residence during the schism 1309-1408 (and regarded as a papal town until 1791), which also was a center of silk manufacture. Influenced in English by Poperinghe, town in Flanders where the fabric was made (but from 18c. the primary source was Ireland).

popliteal (adj.)

"of or pertaining to the back of the knee," 1786, with -al (1) + Modern Latin popliteus (n.) "flat, triangular muscle at the back of the knee-joint," 1704, short for popliteus (musculus), from Latin poples "ham (of the leg)," which is of unknown origin.

popover (n.)

also pop-over, "light cake," 1859, from pop (v.) + over (adv.). Perhaps so called because it swells over the rim of the tin when baked.

popper (n.)

1750, "anything that makes a popping sound," agent noun from pop (v.). By 1847 as "utensil for popping corn."

poppet (n.)

"small human figure used in witchcraft and sorcery," c. 1300, popet, early form of puppet (n.). Meaning "small or dainty person" is recorded from late 14c.; later a term of endearment (18c.) but also in other cases one of contempt.

poppy (n.)

plant of the genus papaver, having showy flowers and milky juice with narcotic properties, from late Old English popig, popæg, from West Germanic *papua-, probably from Vulgar Latin *papavum, from Latin papaver "poppy," perhaps a reduplicated form of imitative root *pap- "to swell."

Associated with battlefields and war dead at least since Waterloo (1815), an association cemented by John McCrae's World War I poem, they do not typically grow well in the soil of Flanders but were said to have been noticeably abundant on the mass graves of the fallen French after 1815, no doubt nourished by the nutriments below. Poppy-seed is from early 15c.; in 17c. it also was a small unit of length (less than one-twelfth of an inch).

poppycock (n.)

"trivial talk, nonsense," 1865, American English, probably from Dutch dialect pappekak, from Middle Dutch pappe "soft food" (see pap) + kak "dung," from Latin cacare "to excrete" (from PIE root *kakka- "to defecate").

Popsicle (n.)

"frozen ice mix with a wooden stick inserted to serve as a handle," 1923, trademark name registered by Frank Epperson of Oakland, Calif., presumably from (lolly)pop + (ic)icle.

popster (n.)

"pop-culture enthusiast," 1963 (in a book about the Beatles), from pop (adj.)+ -ster.

populous (adj.)

"having many inhabitants in proportion to the extent of the country," early 15c., from post-classical Latin populosus "full of people, populous," from populus "people" (see people (n.)). Related: Populously; populousness.

population (n.)

1610s, "whole number of inhabitants in a country, state, county, town, etc," from Late Latin populationem (nominative populatio) "a people; a multitude," as if from Latin populus "a people" (see people (n.)). From 1776 as "act or process of peopling" (a country, etc.). Population explosion "rapid or sudden increase in the size of a population" is attested by 1953.

populate (v.)

"to people, inhabit; form or furnish the population of a country, etc.," 1610s, from Medieval Latin populatus, past participle of populare "inhabit, to people," from Latin populus "inhabitants, people, nation" (see people (n.)). Earlier in English it was an adjective, "peopled, populated" (1570s). Related: Populated; populating.

populism (n.)

1893, "political doctrines or principles of the Populist Party," a left-wing agrarian faction in U.S. politics; see populist + -ism. After the movement faded the word was applied in other contexts (for example a French literary trend of the 1930s), and from the 1960s it was used for political movements that sought to rally ordinary people who see their concerns as being disregarded by established parties and elites, but it also is used pejoratively for irrational or simplistic demagoguery.

populace (n.)

"the common people of a community, the multitude; persons not distinguished by rank, education, office, or profession," 1570s, from French populace (16c.), from Italian popolaccio "riffraff, rabble," from popolo "people" (from Latin populus "people;" see people (n.)) + pejorative suffix -accio.

popularness (n.)

"state of being popular," 1727, from popular + -ness.

popularize (v.)

"to make a complex topic intelligible to the common people," 1833; see popular + -ize. Earlier "to cater to popular taste" (1590s); "to make popular" (1797). Related: Popularized; popularizer; popularizing.

popular (adj.)

early 15c., populer, "public, commonly known," from Old French populaire and directly from Latin popularis "belonging to the people, general, common; devoted to or accepted by the people; democratic," from populus "people" (see people (n.)).

The meaning "of or pertaining to the people; depending on the people," especially the common people, is from 1540s. The meaning "suited to ordinary people, easily comprehended" is from 1570s in English; hence, of prices, "low, affordable to average persons" (1859).

The meaning "well-liked, admired by or enjoying the favor of the people" is attested from c. 1600. Of art, entertainment, etc., "favored by people generally" from 1819 (popular song). Related: Popularly. Popular Front "coalition of Communists, Socialists, and radicals" is from 1936, first in a French context.

popularity (n.)

"fact or condition of being beloved by the people, popular character or quality," c. 1600, from French popularité (15c.)m see popular + -ity. Classical Latin popularitas meant "fellow-citizenship, a being of the same country." Popularity contest is attested from 1880.

popularization (n.)

"act of making popular, adaptation to popular needs or capacities," 1797, noun of action from popularize.

popularise (v.)

chiefly British English spelling of popularize (q.v.); for suffix, see -ize. Related: Popularised; popularisation.

populist

1892 (n.) "an adherent of populism," also (with capital P-), "a member of the Populist Party;" 1893 (adj.); American English, from Latin populus "people" (see people (n.)) + -ist. Originally in reference to the U.S. Populist Party (or People's Party), organized February 1892 to promote certain issues important to farmers and workers (expansion of the currency, state control of railways, and restriction on the ownership of land). The term outlasted the party, and by 1920s came to mean "representing the views of the masses" in a general way, and from the 1950s as "anti-establishment" on either the left or the right.

pop-up (n.)

from 1906 as a type of baseball hit; from pop (v.) + up (adv.). As an adjective from 1934 (of a children's book, later toasters, etc.).

porcelain (n.)

ceramic ware having a translucent body, and, when it is glazed, a translucent glaze, 1530s, from French porcelaine and directly from Italian porcellana "porcelain" (13c.), literally "cowrie shell;" the chinaware being so called from resemblance of its lustrous transparency to the shiny surface of the shells. As an adjective from 1590s.

The shell's name in Italian is from porcella "young sow," fem. of Latin porcellus "young pig," diminutive of porculus "piglet," itself a diminutive of porcus "pig" (from PIE root *porko- "young pig"). Compare Greek khorinē "cowrie," also literally "a little pig."

According to an old theory, the connection of the shell and the pig is a perceived resemblance of the shell (also Venus shell) opening to the exposed outer genitalia of pigs. For a different answer, Century Dictionary (1897) writes that the shell was "so called because the shape of the upper surface resembles the curve of a pig's back."

Thompson ["A Glossary of Greek Fishes"] writes, "According to a widespread belief the cowries were a charm or talisman against sterility. They are among the women's ornaments at Pompeii, and are found in women's graves in France and England as late as the Middle Age ...." He writes that the bigger, showier shells, from the Red Sea, probably account for the "popular and erotic names," but adds that the association of the shells with female sex is almost worldwide.

porch (n.)

c. 1300, porche, "covered entrance; roofed structure, usually open on the front and sides, before an entrance to a building," from Old French porche "porch, vestibule," from Latin porticus "covered gallery, covered walk between columns, arcade, portico, porch," from porta "city gate, gate; door, entrance" (from PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over").

The Latin word was borrowed directly into Old English as portic. Especially (late 14c.) "a covered walk or colonnade on the front or side of a building." In U.S., used by 1832 for what the British call a veranda.

porcine (adj.)

early 15c., "of or pertaining to swine; swinish," from Old French porcin and directly from Latin porcinus "of a hog," from porcus "hog, pig" (from PIE root *porko- "young pig"). Applied to persons in derision or contempt.

porcupine (n.)

rodent noted for its stout, clumsy body and the defensive spines or quills that cover the body and tail, c. 1400, porke despyne, from Old French porc-espin (early 13c., Modern French porc-épic), literally "spine hog," from Latin porcus "hog" (from PIE root *porko- "young pig") + spina "thorn, spine" (see spine).

The word had many forms in Middle English and early Modern English, including portepyn (influenced by port "to carry," as though "carry-spine"), porkpen, porkenpick, porpoynt, and Shakespeare's porpentine (in "Hamlet"). The same notion forms the name in other languages (Dutch stekel-varken, German Stachelschwein).

pore (n.)

late 14c., "minute opening, small orifice, or perforation" in the earth, a tree, the body of a human, animal, or insect, a bone, etc.," from Old French pore (14c.) and directly from Latin porus "a pore," from Greek poros "a pore," literally "passage, way" (from PIE *poro- "passage, journey," suffixed form of PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over").

pore (v.)

early 13c., pouren, "gaze intently, look with close and steady attention or examination," a word of unknown origin, with no obvious corresponding word in Old French. Perhaps from an unrecorded Old English *purian, suggested by spyrian "to investigate, examine" (cognate with Old Norse spyrja) and spor "a trace, vestige." Especially, but not originally, "to read something with steady perseverance" (late 14c.), with on or over. Related: Pored; poring.

porgy (n.)

name given in U.S. to various sea fishes, 1725, probably from porgo, pargo "sea bream" (1550s), from Spanish or Portuguese pargo, from Latin phagrum (nom. phager), from Greek phagros "sea bream," which Beekes says probably is identical with phagros, a Cretan word for "whetstone" (perhaps from a PIE root for "sharpening"), "because of the pointed shape of the body, or the sharp teeth."

poriferous (adj.)

"bearing or having pores," 1834, from Latin porus "pore, opening" (see pore (n.)) + -ferous "producing, containing," from Latin ferre "to bear, carry" (from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry").

Porifera (n.)

"the sponges," as an animal division or class, 1843, Modern Latin, literally "bearing pores," neuter plural of porifer, from Latin porus "pore, opening" (see pore (n.)) + -fer "bearing" (from PIE root *bher- (1) "to carry"). So called for the numerous pores which perforate the body-wall. Related: Poriferal; poriferous.

pork (n.)

c. 1300 (early 13c. in surname Porkuiller), "flesh of a pig as food," from Old French porc "pig, swine, boar," and directly from Latin porcus "pig, tame swine," from PIE root *porko- "young pig." Also in Middle English "a swine, a hog" (c. 1400).

Pork barrel in the literal sense "barrel in which pork is kept" is from 1801, American English; the meaning "state's financial resources" (considered as available for distribution) is attested from 1907 (in full, national pork barrel); it was noted as an expression of U.S. President President William Howard Taft:

The magazine article that includes the quote opens with:

Pork in this sense is attested from 1862 (compare figurative use of bacon).

Pork chop "slice of meat from the ribs of a pork" is attested from 1858. Pork pie "pie made of pastry and minced pork" is from 1732; pork-pie hat (1855) originally described a woman's style popular c. 1855-65, but also worn by men. It was distinguished by a brim turned up around the low crown, a shape that resembled a deep pork pie.

porker (n.)

1650s, "young hog fattened for food," from pork (n.). Meaning "fat person" is by 1892. The middle English had porknel "fat person" (c. 1400).

porky (adj.)

"pork-like," 1852, from pork (n.) + -y (2). Porkish "swinish" is attested from 1550s. Related: Porkiness.

*porko-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "young pig."

It forms all or part of: aardvark; farrow; porcelain; porcine; pork; porcupine; porpoise.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Latin porcus "pig, tame swine," Umbrian purka; Old Church Slavonic prase "young pig;" Lithuanian paršas "pig;" Middle Dutch varken, German Ferkel, Old English fearh "pig, small pig."

porn (n.)

1962, abbreviation of pornography.

porno (adj.)

1952 (Norman Mailer), short for pornographic.

pornographic (adj.)

"of pertaining to, or of the nature of pornography," 1853, from pornography + -ic.

pornographer (n.)

1847, "one who writes of prostitutes or obscene subjects," from pornography + -er (1).

pornography (n.)

1842, "ancient obscene painting, especially in temples of Bacchus," from French pornographie, from Greek pornographos "(one) depicting prostitutes," from graphein "to write" (see -graphy) + pornē "prostitute," originally "bought, purchased" (with an original notion, probably of "female slave sold for prostitution"), related to pernanai "to sell" (from PIE *perə-, variant of root *per- (5) "to traffic in, to sell").

A brothel in ancient Greek was a porneion. In reference to modern works by 1859 (originally French novels), later as a charge against native literature; the sense of "obscene pictures" in modern times is from 1906. Also sometimes used late 19c. for "description of prostitutes" as a matter of public hygiene.

E. Bray in The Medical Archives [December 1872] proposed porniatria for "the lengthy and really meaningless expression 'social evil hospital' ...." In ancient contexts, often paired with rhypography, "genre painting of low, sordid, or unsuitable subjects."

Pornocracy (1860) is "the dominating influence of harlots," used specifically of the control of the government of Rome and the election to the Papacy during the first half of the 10th century by the noble but profligate Theodora and her daughters. Pornotopia (1966) was coined to describe the ideal erotic-world of pornographic movies.

porosity (n.)

"state or quality of containing pores," late 14c., porosite, from Old French porosité, from Medieval Latin porositas (13c.), from Latin porus (see pore (n.)).

porous (adj.)

late 14c., "full of pores, permeable by means of having small perforations," from Old French poros (14c., Modern French poreux) and directly from Medieval Latin porosus; or directly from Latin porus "an opening" (see pore (n.)). Figurative use from 1640s.

porphyry (n.)

type of very hard stone made of crystals embedded in a homogeneous base, late 14c., porfurie, from Old French porfire, pourfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites, name given by the Romans to a purple stone used extensively for ornamental purposes and quarried near the Red Sea in Egypt, from Greek porphyrites (lithos) "the purple (stone)," from porphyra (n.) "purple, purple dye" (see purple). Spelling Latinized mid-15c. Now used generally for a type of igneous rock without regard to color. Porphyrios was an ancient proper name.

porphyria (n.)

metabolic disorder, 1923, from porphyrin (1910), the name of the type of chemical which, in imbalance, causes it, from German porphyrin (1909), chemical name, from Greek porphyros "purple" (see purple) + -in (2). Some of the compounds are purple.

porphyrite (n.)

1796 as a modern mineral name for a rock of porphyritic structure, from porphyry + -ite (2). Related: Porphyritic (early 15c., porphiritike).

porpoise (n.)

type of blunt-headed, thick-bodied cetacean common in the North Atlantic, early 14c. (late 13c. as a surname), porpas, porpays, porpeis, "the common porpoise," also the edible flesh of it, from Old French porpais (12c.) "porpoise," literally "pig fish," from porc "pig, swine" (from Latin porcus "pig," from PIE root *porko- "young pig") + peis "fish," from Latin piscis "fish" (from PIE root *pisk- "a fish").

The Old French word probably is a loan-translation of a Germanic word meaning literally "sea-hog, mere-swine;" compare Old English mereswyn, Old Norse mar-svin, Old High German meri-swin (Modern German Meerschwein), Middle Dutch mereswijn "porpoise," the last of which also was borrowed directly into French and became Modern French marsouin. Classical Latin also had a similar name, porculus marinus (in Pliny), and the notion behind the name likely is a fancied resemblance of the snout to that of a pig.

porrect (v.)

early 15c., "to offer, hand over; extend, stretch out," from Latin porrectus, past participle of porrigere "to stretch or spread out; reach out to, offer, present," from *por-, variation of pro "before, for" (see pro-) + regere "to lead straight, rule" (from PIE root *reg- "move in a straight line," with derivatives meaning "to direct in a straight line," thus "to lead, rule"). Surviving, if at all, in ecclesiastical legal language. Related: Porrection.

porridge (n.)

1530s, porage "thickened soup of vegetables boiled in water, with or without meat," an alteration of pottage, perhaps from influence of Middle English porray, porreie "leek broth," which is from Old French poree "leek soup," from Vulgar Latin *porrata, from Latin porrum "leek." Or perhaps the modern word is a corruption of porray itself, by influence of pottage.

The spelling with -idge is attested from c. 1600. The meaning "food made by slowly stirring meal or flour of oats, peas, etc. into water or milk while boiling till a thick mass is formed" is from 1640s, first in Scottish.

portal (n.)

late 14c., "gate, gateway," especially "the entire architectural treatment of the entrance and its surroundings of a cathedral or other grand building," from Old French portal "gate" (Modern French portail) and directly from Medieval Latin portale "city gate, porch," from neuter of portalis (adj.) "of a gate," from Latin porta "gate," from PIE *prta-, suffixed form of PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over." The medical sense of "place where a drug, etc., enters or leaves the system" is by 1910.

portcullis (n.)

also port-cullis, c. 1300, port-colice, "strong grating of wood or iron made to fit in the entrance of a fortified place," from Old French porte coleice "sliding gate" (c. 1200, Modern French porte à coulisse), from porte "gate" (from Latin porta, from PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over") + coleice "sliding, flowing," fem. of coleis, from Latin colatus, past participle of colare "to filter, strain," which is of uncertain origin.

porte-cochere (n.)

"gateway for carriages in a building, leading from the street to an interior court," 1690s, from French porte-cochère, from porte "gate" (from Latin porta, from PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over") + cochère, fem. adjective from coche "coach" (see coach (n.)).

portend (v.)

"to presage, foreshadow, signify in advance," early 15c., portenden, from Latin portendere "foretell, reveal; point out, indicate," originally "to stretch forward," from por- (variant of pro-; see pro-) "forth, forward" + tendere "to stretch, extend," from PIE root *ten- "to stretch." The literal Latin sense "stretch forth, extend" was occasional in English 17c.-18c. Related: Portended; portending.

portent (n.)

"that which portends, an omen," generally a bad one, 1560s, from French portente, from Latin portentum "a sign, token, omen; monster, monstrosity," noun use of neuter of portentus, past participle of portendere (see portend).

portentous (adj.)

"of the nature of a portent, ominous," 1540s, from Latin portentosus "monstrous, marvelous, threatening," from portentem "portent," from portendere (see portend). Sometimes portentious, by influence of pretentious. Related: Portentously.

porter (n.1)

["person who carries"] late 14c. (mid-13c. as a surname), portour, "person who carries" (goods, burdens), especially one who carries burdens or runs errands for hire, from Anglo-French portour, Old French porteor "porter, bearer; reporter" (12c.), from Late Latin portatorem (nominative portator) "carrier, one who carries," from past participle stem of Latin portare "to carry," from PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over."

porter (n.3)

type of dark-brown malty beer, 1734, short for porter's ale (1721), porter-beer, etc., from porter (n.1), said to be so called because the beer was made for or preferred by porters and other laborers, being cheap and strong, and it survived into 20c. largely in Ireland. However, as OED points out, "There is no direct contemporary evidence as to the origin of the name," to which Century Dictionary (1897) adds, "There is no evidence that London porters, as distinguished from London cabmen or London artisans, favored this sort of beer."

porter (n.2)

["doorkeeper, janitor"] mid-13c. (late 12c. as a surname), "one who has charge of a door or gate; one who guards the gate of a bridge," from Anglo-French portour, Old French portier "gatekeeper" (12c.), from Late Latin portarius "gatekeeper," from Latin porta "city gate, gate; door, entrance," from PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over."

porter-house (n.)

also porterhouse, "restaurant or chophouse where porter, ale, and other malt liquors are sold or served," 1754, from porter (n.3) + house (n.). Porterhouse steak, consisting of a choice cut of beef between the sirloin and the tenderloin (1841) is said to be from a particular establishment in New York City.

portfolio (n.)

"movable receptacle for detached papers or prints," 1722, porto folio; 1719 as port folio, from Italian portafoglio "a case for carrying loose papers," from porta, imperative of portare "to carry" (from PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over") + foglio "sheet, leaf," from Latin folium (see folio). Usually something like a book cover with a flexible back, fastened with strings or clasps. Meaning "official documents of a state department" is from 1835, hence figuratively, of a minister of state. A minister without portfolio is one not in charge of a particular department. Meaning "collection of securities held" is from 1930; portfolio investment is from 1955.

porthole (n.)

also port-hole, "aperture on a ship's side," originally especially one through which guns are fired, 1590s, from port (n.2) + hole (n.).

portico (n.)

c. 1600, from Italian portico, from Latin porticus "colonnade, arcade, covered walk, porch," from porta "gate," from PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over." Especially of the Painted Porch in Athens.

portiere (n.)

curtain hung at the doorway or entrance to a room," 1843, from French portière, which is formed in French from porte "door," or from Medieval Latin portaria, fem. singular of Latin portarius "belonging to a door or gate," from porta "city gate, gate; door, entrance," from PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over."

portion (n.)

early 14c., porcioun, "allotted part, part assigned or attributed, share," also "lot, fate, destiny," from Old French porcion "part, portion" (12c., Modern French portion) and directly from Latin portionem (nominative portio) "share, part," accusative of the noun in the phrase pro portione "according to the relation (of parts to each other)," ablative of *partio "division," related to pars "a part, piece, a share, a division" (from PIE root *pere- (2) "to grant, allot").

Meaning "a part of a whole" is from mid-14c. From late 14c. in the general sense of "section into which something is divided."

portion (v.)

"to divide in portions," mid-14c., porciounen, from Old French porcioner "share out, divide in portions," from porcion "part, portion" (see portion (n.)), and directly from Medieval Latin portionare. Related: Portioned; portioning.

Portland

peninsula on the coast of Dorsetshire, literally "land surrounding a harbor," Old English Portlanda; see port (n.1) + land (n.). The city in Maine, U.S.A., took its name in 1786 for the place in England. Portland, Oregon, was said to have been named for the city in Maine, which won the honor by a coin toss over Boston. Portland cement (1720) was named by its inventor, English mason Joseph Aspdin, from resemblance of the color to the popular building stone of Portland, England. Related: Portlandian.

portly (adj.)

late 15c., portli, "stately, dignified, of noble appearance and carriage," from port (n.3) "bearing, carriage" + -ly (1). Meaning "stout, somewhat large and unwieldy in person" is attested by 1590s.

portmanteau (n.)

1580s, "flexible traveling case or bag for clothes and other necessaries," from Middle French portemanteau "traveling bag," originally "court official who carried a prince's mantle" (1540s), from porte, imperative of porter "to carry" (see porter (n.1)) + manteau "cloak" (see mantle (n.)). Sometimes partially Englished as portmantle.

Portmanteau word "word blending the sound of two different words" (1882) was coined by "Lewis Carroll" (Charles L. Dodgson, 1832-1898) for the sort of words he invented for "Jabberwocky," on the notion of "two meanings packed up into one word." As a noun in this sense from 1872.

portobello

type of mushroom, by 1986, no agreed-upon theory accounts for the name, which seems to be a marketing coinage. London's Portobello Road (one suggested source of the mushroom name) originally was the lane to Porto Bello House, named for the Panamanian place captured by the British under Vernon in 1739.

portray (v.)

mid-13c., portraien, "to draw, paint" (something), from Anglo-French purtraire, Old French portraire "to draw, to paint, portray" (12c.), literally "trace, draw forth," from por- "forth" (from Latin pro-; see pro-) + traire "trace, draw," from Latin trahere "to drag, draw" (see tract (n.1)). Meaning "depict in words, describe" is from late 14c. Related: Portrayed; portrayer; portraying.

Latin protrahere was "to draw forth" but in Medieval Latin also "to draw, paint."

portrait (n.)

1560s, "a figure, drawn or painted," a back formation from portraiture or directly from French portrait, from Old French portret (13c.), noun use of past participle of portraire "to paint, depict" (see portray). Especially a picture or representation of the head and face of a person drawn from life. Related: Portraitist.

portraiture (n.)

"the art of making portraits; a painting, picture, or drawing," late 14c., from Old French portraiture "portrait, image, portrayal, resemblance" (12c.), from portrait (see portrait).

portrayal (n.)

"act of portraying," 1834, from portray + -al (2). The idea formerly was expressed by portray (n.), 1610s.

portreeve (n.)

"chief magistrate of a port or maritime town," Old English portgerefa; see port (n.1) + reeve (n.).

Port Royal

name of a convent near Versailles, in 17c. the home of a lay community notorious for Jansenism; hence Port-Royalist.

portsider (n.)

"left-handed person," 1913, American English baseball slang, from port (n.4) in the nautical sense + side (n.).

Portugal

country on the west side of the Iberian peninsula, late 14c., Portyngale, from Medieval Latin Portus Cale (the Roman name of modern Oporto), "the port of Gaya," from Latin portus "harbor, port" (see port (n.1), also port (n.5)). Alfonso, Count of Portucale, became the first king of Portugal.

Portuguese (n.)

1610s, the language of Portugal, also (1620s) a resident of Portugal; 1660s as an adjective, "of or pertaining to Portugal," from Portuguese Portuguez (see Portugal + -ese). The ending was vulgarly mistaken for a plural in English, and false singular Portugee (by 1821) was formed. Compare Chinee from Chinese; also portegue, portague (1530s), name of a gold coin from Portugal, apparently also a false singular. For Portuguese man-of-war, see man-of-war.

port-wine (n.)

"dark red wine, port," 1700, from port (n.5) + wine (n.).

posable (adj.)

1972 of questions; 1975 of action figures; from pose (v.1 and 2) + -able.

posada (n.)

"inn," 1763, from Spanish posada "home, lodging," from posar "to repose, rest, lodge," from Medieval Latin pausare "to halt, cease, pause; to lodge," from pausa (see pause (n.)).

pose (v.1)

late 14c., posen, "suggest (something is so), suppose, assume; grant, concede," from Old French poser "put, place, propose," a term in debating, from Late Latin pausare "to halt, rest, cease, pause" (source also of Italian posare, Spanish posar; see pause (v.)). The Late Latin verb also had a transitive sense, "cause to pause or rest," and hence the Old French verb (in common with cognates in Spanish, Italian, Portuguese) acquired the sense of Latin ponere "to put, place" (past participle positus; see position (n.)), by confusion of the similar stems.

The meaning "put in a certain position" in English is from early 15c. The intransitive sense of "assume a certain attitude or character" (with implications of artificiality) is from 1840; the transitive sense in reference to an artist's model, etc. is from 1850. Related: Posed; posing.

pose (v.2)

"to puzzle, confuse, perplex," 1590s, earlier "to put questions to, interrogate closely" (1520s), probably from French poser "suppose, assume," from Old French poser "to put, place, set" (see pose (v.1)). Also in some cases a shortening of English appose "examine closely," and directly from oppose (of which appose was a variant). Related: Posed; posing.

pose (n.)

"act of posing the body; attitude, position, whether taken naturally or assumed for effect," 1818, from pose (v.1), in a sense developed in the French cognate. Figuratively, "attitude of mind or conduct," from 1884. Earlier in English it meant "something deposited, a pledge" (mid-15c., from Old French pose, past participle of poser), hence "a secret hoard or treasure."

Poseidon (n.)

Greek god of the sea and earthquakes, one of the chief Olympians, a brother of Zeus, Greek Poseidon (Doric Poteidan), a name of uncertain origin. Related: Poseidonian.

poser (n.1)

"one who practices an affected attitude," 1881, agent noun from pose (v.1); revived in teenager slang by 1983.

poser (n.2)

"question that puzzles," 1793 from pose (v.2) or from apposer; earlier it meant "one who asks testing questions" (1580s).

poseur (n.)

"one who practices affected attitudes," 1866, from French poseur, from verb poser "affect an attitude or pose," from Old French poser "to put, place, set" (see pose (v.1)). The word is English poser in French garb, and thus could itself be considered an affectation.

posh (adj.)

by 1914 (1903 as push), a word of uncertain origin, but there is no evidence for the common derivation from an acronym of port outward, starboard home, supposedly the shipboard accommodations of wealthy British traveling to India on the P & O Lines (to keep their cabins out of the sun); as per OED, see objections outlined in G. Chowdharay-Best in Mariner's Mirror, January 1971; also see here. The acronym story is attested by 1933.

More likely it is from slang posh "a dandy" (1890), from thieves' slang meaning "money" (1830), originally "coin of small value, halfpenny," possibly from Romany posh "half" [Barnhart].

posy (n.)

also posey, 1530s, "short poetical motto engraved on the inner surface of a ring," an alteration of poesy "poetry; a passage of poetry," which is recorded in this sense from early 15c. Meaning "flower; bunch of flowers, bouquet" is recorded by 1570s, from notion of the language of flowers or a custom of sending verses with flowers as gifts. The original thing later was a posy-ring (by 1833).