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Origin and history of veranda

veranda(n.)

also verandah, "open portico on the exterior of a building," with a roof on pillars and railing, 1711, Anglo-Indian, from Hindi varanda, which probably is from Portuguese varanda, originally "long balcony or terrace," a word of uncertain origin.

Possibly a European word used in an Indian context and found there by the English, who were relative late-comers to India. In which case it might represent Spanish baranda "railing," and be ultimately from Vulgar Latin *barra "barrier, bar." French véranda is borrowed from English.

That the word as used in England and in France was brought by the English from India need not be doubted. But either in the same sense, or in one closely analogous, it appears to have existed, quite independently, in Portuguese and Spanish; and the manner in which it occurs without explanation in the very earliest narrative of the adventure of the Portuguese in India ... seems almost to preclude the possibility of their having learned it in that country for the first time .... [Col. Henry Yule and A.C. Burnell, "Hobson-Jobson, A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases," 1903]

also from 1711

Entries linking to veranda

porch(n.)

c. 1300, porche, "covered entrance; roofed structure, usually open on the front and sides, before an entrance to a building," from Old French porche "porch, vestibule," from Latin porticus "covered gallery, covered walk between columns, arcade, portico, porch," from porta "city gate, gate; door, entrance" (from PIE root *per- (2) "to lead, pass over").

The Latin word was borrowed directly into Old English as portic. Especially (late 14c.) "a covered walk or colonnade on the front or side of a building." In U.S., used by 1832 for what the British call a veranda.

stoop(n.1)

"raised open platform before the entrance of a house, approached by steps" 1755, American and Canadian, from Dutch stoep "flight of steps, doorstep, threshold," from Middle Dutch, from Proto-Germanic *stap- "step" (see step (v.)).

This, unlike most of the words received [in American English] from the Dutch, has extended, in consequence of the uniform style of building that prevails throughout the country, beyond the bounds of New York State, as far as the backwoods of Canada. [Bartlett]

Properly neither a veranda nor a porch. Also in South African English as stoep (1797), hence stoep-sitter "habitually idle person, one who sits all day on his own stoep."

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    gallery
    mid-15c., "covered walk or passageway, narrow and partly open passageway along a wall," from Old French galerie "a long portico" (14c.), from Medieval Latin galeria, of unknown origin. Perhaps an alteration of galilea "church porch," which is probably from Latin Galilaea "Galilee
    piazza
    English 1640s to the colonnade of Covent Garden, designed by Inigo Jones, rather than to the marketplace itself; hence "the veranda...
    vaccination
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    fork
    Old English forca, force "pitchfork, forked instrument, forked weapon," from a Germanic borrowing (Old Frisian forke, Dutch vork, Old Norse forkr, Danish fork) of Latin furca "two-pronged fork; pitchfork; fork used in cooking," a word of uncertain origin. Old English also had for
    flirt
    1550s, "to turn up one's nose, sneer at;" later "to rap or flick, as with the fingers" (1560s); "throw with a sudden movement," also "move in short, quick flights" (1580s). Perhaps imitative (compare flip (v.), also East Frisian flirt "a flick or light blow," flirtje "a giddy gir
    box
    "rectangular wooden container," usually with a lid, Old English box, also the name of a type of shrub, from Late Latin buxis, from Greek pyxis "boxwood," pyxion "writing table, box," made of boxwood, from pyxos "box tree," which is of uncertain origin. Beekes suggests a loan-word
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    mid-15c., "supplementary payment, amount needed to complete repayment," from Late Latin implementem "a filling up" (as with provisions), from Latin implere "to fill, fill up, make full; fatten; fulfill, satisfy," from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *e

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