Etymograph

English

portation

Portation comes from Latin portatio ‘a carrying, carriage, conveyance’, from Proto-Italic *portā ‘gate’, and perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to lead, cross over, pass’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-1‘to lead, cross over, pass’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pr̥téh₂1uncertain
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*portā2‘gate’uncertain
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*portāō2‘to carry’uncertain
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEporto2‘to carry, bear’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEportatio3‘a carrying, carriage, conveyance’
  7. Englishtodayportation3

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Proto-Italic *portā
  2. 2 Wiktionary, Latin portatio
  3. 3 Wiktionary, English portation

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*per-Wiktionary, Proto-Italic *portā‘to lead, cross over, pass’uncertain
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*pr̥téh₂Wiktionary, Proto-Italic *portāuncertain
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*portāWiktionary, Latin portatio‘gate’uncertain
  4. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*portāōWiktionary, Latin portatio‘to carry’uncertain
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEportoWiktionary, Latin portatio‘to carry, bear’
  6. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEportatioWiktionary, English portation‘a carrying, carriage, conveyance’
  7. EnglishtodayportationWiktionary, English portation

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *per- ‘to lead, cross over, pass’

first, before, far, per, price, press, further, private, fear, pre, practice, primary, prime, appreciate, prize, pregnant, opportunity, prior, afford, practical, praise, ford, privilege, precious, parade, par, ferry, forth, fare, pirate, prix, primitive, interpretation, pardon, interpreter, privy, prism, peril, afar, primal, 142 more

through Proto-Italic *portā ‘gate’

porch, portico, 21 more

through Proto-Italic *portāō ‘to carry’

sport, rapporteur, 13 more

through Latin porto ‘to carry, bear’

support, report, transport, importance, export, import, porter, rapport, deport, comport, 13 more

Today it means

noun The act of carrying or transporting something; transportation.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “portation”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Proto-Italic *portā, Latin portatio. 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- / portation

Shirt and support for this word