I too think that a purse is a purse and a sporran is a sporran, however I have a story that says otherwise. My brother works for a charity that runs a thrift shop and often has to work in the shop. One day he saw hanging on a rack a sporran marked "lady's purse" for sale for $5 or $10. Someone had donated it in a box of stuff and none of the other staff knew what it was. however it was there with the chain, and it came home with him.