Etymograph

English

disport

Disport comes from Anglo-Norman desporter, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to carry forth’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-1‘to carry forth’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdeportāre1
  3. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400desporter1
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500disporten1‘to disport’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1485disport1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English disport
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur Book XX: “And whether they were a bedde or at other…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-Wiktionary, English disport‘to carry forth’reconstructed
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEdeportāreWiktionary, English disport
  3. Anglo-Normanc. 1066–1400desporterWiktionary, English disport
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500disportenWiktionary, English disport‘to disport’
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1485disportWiktionary, English disport. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1485, Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur Book XX: “And whether they were a bedde or at other…”

The story

The verb is derived from Middle English disporten, desporten (‘to take part in entertainment, sport, etc., to pass time, amuse oneself, be merry; to amuse, entertain; to cheer, console; to behave (in a particular way), deport; to be active, to busy; to relieve (someone of a task); to prevent (someone from attending)’), from Anglo-Norman desporter, Old French desporter, deporter, depporter (‘to amuse, entertain; to pass time, amuse oneself; to forbear; to stop’), from Latin deportāre, present active infinitive of dēportō (‘to bring, convey; to bring or take home; to carry along or down; to banish, transport’), from dē- (prefix meaning ‘from, off’) + portō (‘to bear, carry; to bring, convey’) (from Proto-Indo-European *per- (‘to carry forth; fare’)). The English word is a doublet of deport and sport.

Full etymology on Wiktionary

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to carry forth’

first, before, far, per, price, private, press, further, practice, fear, pre, support, primary, prime, appreciate, report, prior, prize, pregnant, opportunity, practical, afford, precious, ford, interpretation, privilege, parade, par, praise, importance, ferry, transport, pirate, fare, forth, pardon, primitive, prix, export, interpreter, 156 more

Today it means

verb To amuse oneself divertingly or playfully; in particular, to cavort or gambol.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “disport”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *per- / disport

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