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Sporran

4 stages from Greek to English.

Today it means a pouch worn at the front of a kilt

Where does the word "sporran" come from? It comes from Greek býrsa, passing through Medieval Latin and Scottish Gaelic before entering English (1810s).

1
Stage 1 of 4
býrsa
Greek · ancient
"hide, leather"
'ox-hide'; legend says Dido bought as much land at Carthage as one ox-hide could cover, cut it into thin strips, and named the citadel Byrsa
2
Stage 2 of 4
bursa
Medieval Latin · medieval
"purse"
'purse', from the leather it was made of; also the source of English 'purse' and 'bursar'
3
Stage 3 of 4
sporan
Scottish Gaelic · medieval
"purse"
reached Gaelic through Middle Irish sparán; worn at the front because the belted plaid had no pockets
4
Stage 4 of 4
sporran
English · 1810s
"pouch worn with a kilt"
Walter Scott staged George IV's 1822 visit to Edinburgh as a tartan pageant, with the king in full Highland dress, helping make the sporran part of formal kilt wear
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Read the full story

Sporran’s story begins in Greek: býrsa meant “hide, leather.” 'ox-hide'; legend says Dido bought as much land at Carthage as one ox-hide could cover, cut it into thin strips, and named the citadel Byrsa. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Medieval Latin as bursa. 'purse', from the leather it was made of; also the source of English 'purse' and 'bursar'. From there it passed into Scottish Gaelic as sporan by medieval. Reached Gaelic through Middle Irish sparán; worn at the front because the belted plaid had no pockets. It reached English by 1810s as sporran. Walter Scott staged George IV's 1822 visit to Edinburgh as a tartan pageant, with the king in full Highland dress, helping make the sporran part of formal kilt wear. Today, sporran means a pouch worn at the front of a kilt.