We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website. By clicking 'continue' or by continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. You can change your cookie settings in your browser at any time.

Continue
Find out more
portman (1346-47)

portman (1346-47)

portesmon,  portmane,  portmanne,  portmon; 
pl. portmen,  portmenne  
  FEW: Gdf: GdfC: TL: DEAF:  portman  DMF: TLF: OED:  portman n.1  MED:  portman n.  DMLBS:  portmannus 2356b
ls(loanword: M.E. )
le

The first lexical item, port in the sense of ‘town or city’, is absent in French, but appears already in Old English. The OED etymology (port n.2, see also MED port n.3) considers the word a special development of portus (‘harbour’), perhaps by association with porta (‘gate’), cf. Anglo-Norman port1 and porte1.

s.

lawstatuscitizens of a town, burgher (often in some administrative or legal function)
( 1346-47 )  Est ordinee qe nul portman del dit mestier soit receu en portmanrie por vendre ne achater des estraunges nul manere novel drap  Bristol Red Bk ii 26
( 1366-67 )  Ordinee est [...] qe touz yceux qe ne sount pas burgeys et voillent marchaunder ou art user deynz la ville […] q’ilz soient receu portmen et facent fyn al communalté  Bristol Red Bk ii 48

[gdw]

See also:

porteis1  portland  portmanland  portmanfee  portmanmote  portmanrie 
This is an AND2 Phase 4 (N-O/U-P-Q) entry. © 2013-17 The Anglo-Norman Dictionary. All rights reserved. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council of the United Kingdom.
portman