C18: from French, from colporter, probably from Old French comporter to carry (see comport); influenced through folk etymology by porter à col to carry on one's neck
colporteur in American English
(ˈkɑlˌpɔrtər)
noun
a traveling distributor or seller of Bibles, religious tracts, etc.
Derived forms
colportage (ˈcolˌportage) (ˈkɑlˌpɔrtɪdʒ)
noun
Word origin
Fr, peddler; altered by assoc. with col, neck < OFr comporter: see comport