*Portage* was borrowed from French back in the 15th century to mean “carrying, transporting” or “freight,” and it has kept its simple “carrying” sense to the present day. But its first known use in its “carrying of boats” sense came in 1698, and the obstacle that the canoes couldn't be steered over was none other than Niagara Falls. Though canoes are much lighter today than they used to be, a long portage that includes a lot of camping gear can still test a camper's strength.

(1) A flat case for carrying documents or artworks. (2) The investments owned by a person or organization.

*Portfolio* is partly based on the Latin *folium*, meaning “leaf, sheet.” A portfolio usually represents a portable showcase of your talents. Today actual portfolios are used less than they used to be by artists, since most commercial artists have a Web site dedicated to showing off their art. But *portfolio* in its other common meaning is extremely common. Not so long ago, a broker would keep each of his or her clients' investments in a separate notebook or portfolio. Today the investment portfolio, like an artist's portfolio, usually takes the form of a Web page, even though everyone still uses the same old word.

(1) To be in agreement with. (2) To behave.

With its prefix *com-*, “with,” the Latin word *comportare* meant “to bring together.” So it's easy to see how in English we could say that a college's policy comports with state law, or that a visit to your parents doesn't comport with your other weekend plans, or that your aunt and uncle won't listen to anything on TV that doesn't comport with their prejudices. The “behave” sense of the word comes through French, and its essential meaning is how a person “carries” him- or herself. So you may say, for instance, that your 17- year-old comported himself well (for once!) at the wedding reception, or that an ambassador always comports herself with dignity—that is, her *comportment* is always dignified—or that your class comported itself in a way that was a credit to the school.

Manner of conducting oneself socially.

We've all seen pictures of girls walking around balancing books on their heads in an effort to achieve the poise of a princess or a film star. Classes in deportment were once a standard part of a young lady's upbringing, offered in all the girls' colleges; and you can still take private deportment classes, where you'll learn about posture and body language, how to move, sit, stand, shake hands, dress, drink and eat, and much more. But deportment isn't all about refined female grace. In fact, *deport* is often used as a synonym for *comport*, but usually in a positive way; thus, people are often said to deport themselves well, confidently, with dignity, like gentlemen or ladies, and so on.

Something that hangs down, especially as an ornament.

Most pendants are purely decorative. But a pendant may also hold a picture or a lock of hair of a lover or a child. And, perhaps because they hang protectively in front of the body and near the heart, pendants have often had symbolic and magical purposes. Thus, a pendant may be a charm or amulet, or its gems or metals may be felt to have health-giving properties. In architecture, a pendant is an ornament that hangs down from a structure, but unlike a necklace pendant it's usually solid and inflexible.

To add as something extra.

*Append* is a somewhat formal word. Lawyers, for example, often speak of appending items to other documents, and lawmakers frequently append small bills to big ones, hoping that everyone will be paying attention only to the main part of the big bill and won't notice. When we append a small separate section to the end of a report or a book, we call it an *appendix*. But in the early years of e-mail, the words we decided on were *attach* and *attachment*, probably because appendixes are thought of as unimportant, whereas the attachment is often the whole reason for sending an e-mail.

(1) Something joined on to a larger or more important body or thing. (2) A secondary body part, such as an arm or a leg.

*Appendix* isn't the only noun that comes from *append*. Unlike *appendix*, *appendage* doesn't suggest the end of something, but simply something attached. The word is often used in biology to refer to parts of an animal's body: an insect's antennae, mouthparts, or wings, for example. The appendages of some animals will grow back after they've been removed; a salamander, for example, can regrow a finger, and the tiny sea squirt can regrow all its appendages—and even its brain.

(1) To stop something, or to force someone to give up some right or position, for a limited time. (2) To hang something so that it is free on all sides.

When something is suspended, it is “left hanging” ; it is neither in full operation nor permanently ended. *Suspense* is a state of uncertainty and maybe anxiety. When we watch a play or movie, we enjoy experiencing a “suspension of disbelief”; that is, we allow ourselves to believe we're watching reality, even though we aren't truly fooled.*Suspension* can also mean physical hanging; thus, in a suspension bridge, the roadway actually hangs from huge cables. When some substance is “in suspension,” its particles are “hanging” in another substance, mixed into it but not actually dissolved, like fine sand in water, or sea spray in the air at the seashore.