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Origin and history of transport

transport(v.)

late 14c., transporten, "convey from one place to another," from Old French transporter "carry or convey across; overwhelm (emotionally)" (14c.) and directly from Latin transportare "carry over, take across, convey, remove," from trans "beyond, across" (see trans-) + portare "to carry" (from PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over").

The sense of "carry away with strong feelings" is recorded by c. 1500. The meaning "carry away (a criminal, etc.) into banishment" is recorded from 1660s. Related: Transported; transporting; and, courtesy of 17c., transportative "portable," 1640s; transportive (1620s); transportant "ravishing" (1660).

transport(n.)

mid-15c., originally "mental exaltation;" from transport (v.). The meaning "act of carrying or conveying" is from 1610s.

The sense of "means of transportation, carriage, conveyance" is recorded from 1690s; specifically in reference to a vessel employed by a government in carrying troops and provisions of war from place to place or convicts to their banishment."

also from mid-15c.

Entries linking to transport

disport(v.)

late 14c., disporten, "to divert (from sadness or ennui), cheer, amuse gaily," from Anglo-French disporter "divert, amuse," Old French desporter "to seek amusement," literally "carry away" (the mind from serious matters), from des- "away" (see dis-) + porter "to carry," from Latin portare "to carry" (from PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over").

Compare disporter "a minstrel or jester" (early 15c.), also Latin deportare "to carry away, transport," in Medieval Latin also "divert, amuse." For a similar sense evolution, compare distract, divert, transport (v.). Intransitive sense of "to play, sport" is from late 14c.

teleport(v.)

1940, in reference to religious miracles, from tele- + ending from transport (v.). In the science fiction sense by 1957. Related: Teleported; teleporter; teleporting (1931).

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enchant
late 14c., literal ("practice sorcery or witchcraft on") and figurative ("delight in a high degree, charm, fascinate"), from Old French enchanter "bewitch, charm, cast a spell" (12c.), from Latin incantare "to enchant, fix a spell upon," from in- "upon, into" (from PIE root *en "
ravish
c. 1300, ravishen, "to seize (someone) by violence, carry away (a person, especially a woman)," from Old French raviss-, present-participle stem of ravir "to seize, take away hastily," from Vulgar Latin *rapire, from Latin rapere "to seize and carry off, carry away suddenly, hurr
delight
c. 1200, delit, "high degree of pleasure or satisfaction," also "that which gives great pleasure," from Old French delit "pleasure, delight, sexual desire," from delitier "please greatly, charm," from Latin delectare "to allure, delight, charm, please," frequentative of delicere
vehicle
administered," also "any means of conveying or transmitting," from French véhicule (16c.), from Latin vehiculum "means of transport..., vehicle, carriage, conveyance," from vehere "to bear, carry, convey" (from PIE root *wegh- "to go, move, transport in a...
convey
early 14c., conveien, "to go along with;" late 14c., "to carry, transport;" from Anglo-French conveier, Old French convoiier...," from assimilated form of Latin com "with, together" (see con-) + via "way, road" (from PIE root *wegh- "to go, move, transport...
vehement
away," perhaps [Barnhart] from a lost present middle participle of vehere "to carry" (from PIE root *wegh- "to go, move, transport...
obvious
the way," from ob "in front of, against" (see ob-) + viam, accusative of via "way" (from PIE root *wegh- "to go, move, transport...
commerce
1530s, "social intercourse;" 1580s, "interchange of goods or property, trade," especially trade on a large scale by transportation between countries or different parts of the same country, from French commerce (14c.), from Latin commercium "trade, trafficking," from com "with, to
wheel
Old English hweol, hweogol "wheel," from Proto-Germanic *hwewlaz (source also of Old Norse hvel, Old Swedish hiughl, Old Frisian hwel, Middle Dutch weel), from PIE *kw(e)-kwl-o- "wheel, circle," suffixed, reduplicated form of root *kwel- (1) "revolve, move round; sojourn, dwell."
bring
Old English bringan "to bear, convey, take along in coming; bring forth, produce, present, offer" (past tense brohte, past participle broht), from Proto-Germanic *brangjanan (source also of Old Frisian branga "attest, declare, assure," Middle Dutch brenghen, Old High German bring

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