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Origin and history of porch

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.

also from c. 1300

Entries linking to porch

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]

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."

*per-(2)

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to lead, pass over." A verbal root associated with *per- (1), which forms prepositions and preverbs with the basic meaning "forward, through; in front of, before," etc.

It might form all or part of: aporia; asportation; comport; deport; disport; emporium; Euphrates; export; fare; farewell; fartlek; Ferdinand; fere; fern; ferry; firth; fjord; ford; Fuhrer; gaberdine; import; important; importune; opportune; opportunity; passport; porch; pore (n.) "minute opening;" port (n.1) "harbor;" port (n.2) "gateway, entrance;" port (n.3) "bearing, mien;" port (v.) "to carry;" portable; portage; portal; portcullis; porter (n.1) "person who carries;" porter (n.2) "doorkeeper, janitor;" portfolio; portico; portiere; purport; practical; rapport; report; sport; support; transport; warfare; wayfarer; welfare.

It might also be the source of: Sanskrit parayati "carries over;" Greek poros "journey, passage, way," peirein "to pierce, pass through, run through;" Latin portare "to carry," porta "gate, door," portus "port, harbor," originally "entrance, passage," peritus "experienced;" Avestan peretush "passage, ford, bridge;" Armenian hordan "go forward;" Old Welsh rit, Welsh rhyd "ford;" Old Church Slavonic pariti "to fly;" Old English faran "to go, journey," Old Norse fjörðr "inlet, estuary."