Etymology

portly

P3O1R1T1L1Y4

Today it means: Somewhat fat, pudgy, overweight. Full definition →

First used 15th c.
Ask AI about its historyChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

The story

From an archaic sense of port (“manner in which a person carries himself; bearing; deportment; carriage”) + -ly.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 15th c. Somewhat fat, pudgy, overweight.
  • from 15th c. Having a dignified bearing; handsome, imposing.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.