Etymograph

English

support

Support comes from Latin supportō ‘to carry, bring, convey or transport’, and goes back to portō.

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEportō1‘to carry’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsupportō2‘to carry’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400supporter2
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500supporten2
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1681support2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin supporto
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English support
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or: “This fierce demeanour and his insolence / The patience…”.

Lineage

  1. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEportōWiktionary, Latin supporto‘to carry’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEsupportōWiktionary, English support‘to carry’
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400supporterWiktionary, English support
  4. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500supportenWiktionary, English support
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1681supportWiktionary, English support. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1681, John Dryden, The Spanish Fryar: Or: “This fierce demeanour and his insolence / The patience…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *per-

first, before, far, per, price, private, press, further, practice, fear, pre, primary, prime, prior, prize, appreciate, pregnant, practical, afford, opportunity, precious, praise, ford, interpretation, privilege, parade, par, ferry, pirate, fare, forth, pardon, primitive, prix, interpreter, pragmatic, privy, prism, proton, portable, 141 more

through Proto-Italic *portā ‘gate’

porch, portal, porta, portico, 20 more

through Proto-Italic *portāō ‘to carry’

sport, rapporteur, 14 more

through Latin portō ‘to carry’

report, transport, importance, export, import, porter, deport, rapport, comport, 14 more

Another origin of support

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500support
  2. Englishtodaysupport

Today it means

verb To help keep from falling.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “support”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Latin supporto. 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 / Latin portō / support

Shirt and support for this word