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- early 15c., "meaning, tenor, the surface or expressed meaning of a document, etc.; that which is conveyed or expressed," from Anglo-French purport (late 13c.), Old French porport "contents, tenor," back-formation from purporter "to contain, convey, carry; intend," from pur- (from Latin pro- "forth;" see pur-) + Old French porter "to carry," from Latin portare "to carry" (from PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over").
www.etymonline.com/word/purport
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The meaning of PURPORT is to have the often specious appearance of being, intending, or claiming (something implied or inferred); also : claim. How to use purport in a sentence. Did you know?
Apr 23, 2015 · The verb purport means "to claim to be but usually when it is not true"; that's why the definition uses the word "falsely". Other dictionaries use other words like "ostensibly" or "specious". I believe there is some semantic extension involved here where it evolved from "intend, purpose". – ermanen. Apr 23, 2015 at 5:17.
OED's earliest evidence for purport is from 1422, in Deed. It is also recorded as a verb from the Middle English period (1150—1500). purport is a borrowing from French.
Purport definition: to present, especially deliberately, the appearance of being; profess or claim, often falsely. See examples of PURPORT used in a sentence.
PURPORT definition: 1. to pretend to be or to do something, especially in a way that is not easy to believe: 2. the…. Learn more.
Middle English. The earliest known use of the verb purport is in the Middle English period (1150—1500). OED's earliest evidence for purport is from 1389. purport is a borrowing from French. Etymons: French purporter. See etymology.
