Stoa
/ˈstoʊə/noun
A covered walkway or portico, especially in ancient Greek architecture.
Did you know?The Stoics took their name from the Stoa Poikile, the “Painted Porch” in Athens, where Zeno taught—so a whole philosophy was named after a doorway-like public space.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*steh₂-
“to stand”
Ancient Greek
GRK
στόα (stóa)
“a porch, covered walkway, or colonnade”
Classical Greek
GRK
Στοά Ποικίλη (Stoa Poikilē)
“the Painted Porch in Athens, famous as a meeting place”
Latin
LAT
stoa
“a stoa or portico, borrowed from Greek”
Modern English
ENG
stoa
“an ancient Greek covered walkway or portico”