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Portia
Portia ♀ This is the name of two characters in the works of Shakespeare. The most celebrated of them is an heiress in The Merchant of Venice who, disguised as a man, shows herself to be a brilliant advocate and delivers a stirring speech on the quality of mercy. It is also the name of the wife of Brutus in Julius Caesar. The historical Brutus's wife was called Porcia, feminine form of the Roman family name Porcius, which is apparently a derivative of Latin porcus ‘pig’.
Variant: Porsha (modern respelling). |
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Cite this article
PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Portia." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Portia." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Portia.html PATRICK HANKS, KATE HARDCASTLE, and FLAVIA HODGES. "Portia." A Dictionary of First Names. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O41-Portia.html |
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Portia
Portia name of the heroine in Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, who, dressed in men's clothes, successfully defends her husband's friend Antonio from the prosecution of Shylock; her name may be used allusively for a female advocate or barrister.
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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Portia." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Portia." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Portia.html ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Portia." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Portia.html |
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Portia
Portia The seventh-closest satellite of Uranus, distance 66 100 km, orbital period 0.513 days; also known as Uranus XII. Its diameter is 108 km, and it was discovered in 1986 on images taken by the Voyager 2 spacecraft.
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"Portia." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Portia." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-Portia.html "Portia." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-Portia.html |
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Portia
Portia (Uranus XII) One of the lesser satellites of Uranus, with a diameter of 55 km. It was discovered in 1986.
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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "Portia." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "Portia." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-Portia.html AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "Portia." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-Portia.html |
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Portia
Portia,
1. the heroine of Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice; 2. in his Julius Caesar, the wife of Brutus. |
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MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Portia." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Portia." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-Portia.html MARGARET DRABBLE and JENNY STRINGER. "Portia." The Concise Oxford Companion to English Literature. 2003. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O54-Portia.html |
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Portia
Portia , in astronomy, one of the natural satellites, or moons, of Uranus . |
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"Portia." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Portia." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Portia-ast.html "Portia." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-Portia-ast.html |
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Portia
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"Portia." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Portia." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Portia.html "Portia." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-Portia.html |
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