Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

Hide Quotations Hide Etymology

Abbreviations Cite this entry

About this entry:
First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Porture, -our, v. Also porter, -yr. P.t. and p.p. also porturat(e. [e.m.E. porture (1535), porter (1511), -yr (1539), late ME portred (14–15th c.), purtred (15th c.), by-form, of uncertain derivation, of Portra(y v.But perh. originating by back-formation f. portrait p.p. of Portra(y v., OF portrait, -ret, p.p. of portraire Portra(y v., ? with the -ait ending taken as -at(e f. L. -āt-us etc.]The earliest witness to the form is the 1489 E. MS of Barbour's Brus.Like Portra(y, only in verse.

1. tr. To portray, depict. = Portra(y v. a. Also transf.With simple obj., with obj. (or passive subj.) accompanied by a descriptive complement, or with a clause as obj.(1) c1500 Rowll Cursing 231 (M).
To leir to paynt portour or blasoun Thair forme and thair feyndlie fassoun 1513 Doug. vi i 31.
The dedly vrn stand porturat mycht thai knaw Ib. 36.
The ile of Crete he wrocht [sc. in sculpture] … , The kingis cite thar hecht Gnosya, Quharin he porturit als … The lufe abhominabill of Queyn Pasyphe Ib. viii x 79 (see Importurate p.p.). 1535 Stewart 27249.
In his baner syne all of brodin wark, Porterit perfite the Virgin(2) c1400 Troy-bk. ii 2830.
One figur … lykar than On god na be portured a man 1513 Doug. v v 20.
He semyt porturyt pantand for the hete Ib. vii iii 83. Ib. xiii 24.
The kepar eik of this ilk maid, Argus, Was porturit thar, and fader Inachus, Furth of ane pantyt pig, quhar as he stude A gret ryver defundand or a flude Ib. x viii 145.
Portyrit c1515 Asl. MS. I 326/18.
Matheu porturit in manly figour for he tretis mast of Goddis humanite(b) 1513 Doug. viii xi 29.
Manlyus the knycht abufe into the scheild … Stud porturat neir the chymmys calendar(3) 1513 Doug. i vii 87.
He saw porturate quhar in sik a place The Grekis fled [etc.](4) transf. 1513 Doug. xii Prol. 67.
Wod and forest … Quhois blisfull branschis porturat on the grund With schaddoys schene schew rochis rubicund

2. P.p. Shaped, formed, fashioned. = Portra(y v. b.Dowbil porturat, having two forms (in one body). 1375 Barb. x 281 (E).
He wes off mesurabill statur, And weile porturat [C. portrait weill] at mesur ?1438 Alex. ii 3863.
Quha-sa micht se hir fassoun all, Hir face and hir middle small, Portured and shapin suthfastly 1513 Doug. vi iv 103.
The Centawres war stablit at this port, The dowbil porturat [Ruddim. porturit] Scilla [L. Scyllae … biformes] with thame infeir, Bryareus with ane hundreth formys seyr 1535 Stewart 25799.
Aurelius tua sisteris … had of plesand pulchritude, Porterit but peir, full of formositie Ib. 15811.

3. To decorate with pictures. ?1438 Alex. ii 7461.
The palace … That of storys of Troy and Rome Was porturit clenly 1535 Stewart 37580.
The sylar als wes of the sypar tre, Porterit perfite that plesand wes to se