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Portée

Portée is a French noun (feminine) derived from the verb porter, meaning to carry. It has several related senses connected to distance, reach, or extent, and it appears in both everyday language and specialized contexts. Etymologically, the sense of carrying leads to figurative uses such as range, scope, or applicability.

In general use, portée denotes the distance over which something can act or be perceived, or the

Within everyday speech, the expression à portée de main means within reach, signifying something that is easily

In specialized domains, portée has particular meanings. In music, la portée refers to the staff or stave

Portée remains a versatile term in French, aligning physical distance with figurative reach and applicability across

scope
of
an
effect.
It
can
refer
to
the
maximum
distance
a
tool
or
signal
can
cover,
as
in
the
portée
d’un
fusil
or
the
portée
d’un
signal
radio,
as
well
as
the
reach
or
influence
of
a
project,
plan,
or
law,
for
example
la
portée
d’un
projet
ou
d’un
texte.
accessible.
The
concept
also
appears
in
discussions
of
coverage
or
applicability,
where
one
speaks
of
the
portée
d’un
service,
d’un
droit,
or
d’une
mesure.
on
which
notes
are
written.
In
botany
and
veterinary
contexts,
une
portée
denotes
a
litter
or
brood
of
young
animals,
such
as
une
portée
de
chiots.
In
linguistics
and
logic,
portée
is
used
to
describe
the
scope
or
range
of
a
quantifier
or
operator
within
a
sentence.
diverse
fields.