Latin Love: portare

When we speak of someone's deportment, we are speaking of the way that person acts in society, the way he carries himself: Does he slouch or stand tall? Is he rude or respectful? Does he seek attention or is he shy? Does he appear confident or unsure of himself? A person's manner of speech, dress, eating, and posture are all features of deportment. The prefix "de-" means "toward" in this word; the root "port-" means "carriage" and the suffix "-ment" makes this word a noun.

Although the words "deport" and "deportment" are close relatives, they are close relatives who have taken very different paths in language. The verb "deport," having a negative connotation, means to be forced to leave a country if you are not a citizen. People who are deported are called "deportees." The process of deporting a person is called "deportation."

We say that events happen at "opportune" moments, or, moments when opportunity is at its best for those events. The opposite is "inopportune," meaning, to occur at a bad time, a time of no opportunity. We say that "opportunity knocks," and that is an appropriate saying, when you consider that the root "port-" means "doorway."

The word "importune" is one of those words that has gone out of fashion for some reason. Instead of saying "importune" in conversation, we just say "beg" or "plead." But, in literature that was written at some in the past, we do encounter this word, along with "beseech," which means the same as "importune," and which is also out of fashion in modern conversation.

People can be supportive when they listen attentively, offer tactful suggestions, celebrate your victories and cheer you up and keep you going when you fail. A supportive person "carries" you by holding you up. The prefix "sup-" is another form of "sub-" and means the same thing, which is "under."

The prefix "ex-" means "out of," and since the root "port-" means "carry," we get "carried out of." "Export" can be a verb that takes a direct object (Costa Rica exports bananas.) In the example sentence, we see "export" used as a noun.

"Import," being the opposite of "export" means "carry in." The opposite of imported goods would be domestic, or home-grown, goods. Consumers usually pay more for the goods that they import because of transportation costs and other costs of international trade.

Because the prefix "com-" means "with," and the root "port-" means "to carry," the word "comport," at its root, means "to carry with." We often use it to mean "to go along with," as in the example sentence. When we say that something "comports with" something else or someone, we mean that they are a good match.

When something is "portable," it is easily carried.

A porter is, simply, a person who carries things for another person. A golf caddie is a kind of porter. In the example sentence, we see that a Sherpa is more than a porter. Sherpas are skilled guides and assistants to those who climb the Himalayas in Tibet and Nepal.