dower vs portion

dower

noun
  • Property given by a groom directly to his bride at or before their wedding in order to legitimize the marriage; dowry. 

  • The part of or interest in a deceased husband's property provided to his widow, usually in the form of a life estate. 

verb
  • To endow. 

  • To give a dower or dowry to. 

portion

noun
  • A wife's fortune; a dowry. 

  • An allocated amount. 

  • That which is divided off or separated, as a part from a whole; a separated part of anything. 

  • One's fate; lot. 

  • The part of an estate given or falling to a child or heir; an inheritance. 

verb
  • To divide into amounts, as for allocation to specific purposes. 

  • To endow with a portion or inheritance. 

How often have the words dower and portion occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )