Balcony
/ˈbæl.kə.ni/noun
An elevated platform projecting from the wall of a building, enclosed by a railing.
Did you know?Although the exact origin is uncertain, English took *balcony* through Italian from a Germanic source related to a beam or large wooden plank, showing how a word for simple construction became a symbol of status and spectacle.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*balkô / *balkaz
“A beam, ridge, or wooden bar”
Old High German
OHG
balcho
“A beam or plank”
Medieval Latin
Latin
balconus
“A beam or projecting structure”
Italian
Italian
balcone
“A balcony or projecting platform”
16th Century
English
balcony
“A projecting platform on the outside of a building”