This week’s “Cognate Cognizance” duo is one that I wish I’d known during those 30 years in which I was teaching Spanish. I came upon the English word, which is now considered mostly archaic, while reading “Moby Dick” recently. The moment I saw the word, I had one of those “ah-ha moments” in which I figuratively (and perhaps literally) slapped my head while simultaneously groaning aloud in frustration. Again, if only I’d known this word when I was teaching Spanish, it would have come in so handy.
So, let’s look at the word.
disport — essentially, this noun simply means “sport” but it also can mean “play, pastime, diversion, or game” and as a verb it means “to divert” or “to amuse”
deporte — the Spanish cognate that means “sport”
If you’ve ever learned Spanish or if you teach that language, you know just how common the word “deporte” is in vocabulary lessons and in the Spanish language as a whole. In English, we long ago shortened “disport” to the much more commonly used “sport.”
“Disport” and “deporte” come from Latin’s portare which means “to carry.” Hmm, how does a word that means “to carry” come to refer to “sports?” Let’s look at the explanation provided by merriam-webster.com:
“Geoffrey Chaucer was one of the earliest writers to amuse the reading public with the verb disport. Chaucer and his contemporaries carried the word into English from Anglo-French, adapting it from desporter, meaning "to carry away, comfort, or entertain." The word can ultimately be traced back to the Latin verb portare, meaning "to carry." Deport, portable, and transport are among the members of the portare family.”
Chaucer died in 1400, and our language has changed much since his time, so it’s no wonder we eventually shortened “disport” to “sport,” but the Spanish language continues to use “deporte” for “sport.”
My students would logically assume “deporte” meant “deport,” but it doesn’t. It was a logical assumption, though, because the two words are almost identical. They are that way because they both come from the same linguistic ancestor. “Deport” in Spanish, however, is “deportar.”
In reference to the above-mentioned words, “transport” is “transporte” in Spanish, and “portable” is “portable” or “portátil.”
If you’ve ever had to carry a canoe or a kayak from the river and across or around something blocking your way or dangerous, then you’ve practiced the act called “portage.” This is “el porteo” in Spanish. Once again, you see that base of the Latin ancestor in those words.
When you are playing a sport, you are essentially carrying yourself away in the entertainment of that activity. You are “disporting” yourself.
While I know this post isn’t going to bring “disport” back into common usage, it can help those learning or teaching Spanish to understand that “sport” actually is a cognate of “deporte.” My students would see the commonality between the words due to them both containing the letters “p-o-r-t” but I failed to investigate and see the solid connection between the two words because I had never heard of the word “disport” until I read “Moby Dick.”
Here is the quote where it appears:
MOBY DICK
"And thus, though surrounded by circle upon circle of consternations and affrights, did these inscrutable creatures at the centre freely and fearlessly indulge in all peaceful concernments; yea, serenely revelled in dalliance and delight. But even so, amid the tornadoed Atlantic of my being, do I myself still for ever centrally disport in mute calm; and while ponderous planets of unwaning woe revolve around me, deep down and deep inland there I still bathe me in eternal mildness of joy."
Chapter lxxxvii - THE GRAND ARMADA
I love reading classic literature for many reasons, but linguistically speaking, I enjoy it for moments like this when I see the connection between an archaic English word and a commonly used Spanish one and thus understand the sentence I’m reading without needing to look up the word. It makes me feel smart. Ha ha.
I hope this post has made you feel a bit smarter as you’ve increased your “Cognate Cognizance.” This is a free post. If you’re a free subscriber only, you missed out on learning more about the words “security,” “brilliant,” and “communal” these past weeks. Won’t you give being a paying subscriber a one-month chance, so you don’t miss any more entries? I’d really appreciate it.
Until next time.
Tammy Marshall
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