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Where does the word "port" come from? It comes from Portuguese Porto, and was adopted directly into English (1690s).
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Where does the word "port" come from? It comes from Portuguese Porto, and was adopted directly into English (1690s).
Port’s story begins in Portuguese: Porto meant “a Portuguese city name.” The coastal city from which the fortified wine was traditionally shipped. It reached English by 1690s as port. Shortened and settled as the English word for the fortified sweet wine. Today, port means a strong, sweet fortified wine, traditionally from Portugal.
- Stage 1 · Portuguese · medieval Porto "a Portuguese city name", the coastal city from which the fortified wine was traditionally shipped.
- Stage 2 · English · 1690s port "a fortified sweet wine", shortened and settled as the English word for the fortified sweet wine.