Portage
/ˈpɔːr.tɪdʒ/noun
The act or practice of carrying boats or goods overland between waterways.
Did you know?Portage comes from the same Latin root as *portable* and *transport*, all from *portare* meaning “to carry,” a root that turned physical carrying into one of English’s biggest power-movement word families.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
portare
“to carry, bring, or convey”
Late Latin
Latin
portaticum
“a carrying or transport charge; something carried”
Old French
Old French
portage
“a carrying, transport, or freight charge”
14th–15th Century
English
portage
“the act of carrying goods or boats overland”
Modern English
English
portage
“the carrying of a boat or supplies between navigable waters”