Why isn't there an actual Japanese word for "balcony"?


The Japanese word for "balcony" is a loanword of veranda - ベランダ ( _Beranda_ ).
[Veranda is a Anglo-Indian word from Hindi _varanda_ which came from
Portuguese _varanda_](https://www.etymonline.com/word/veranda) and is
extensively used in India. So, Japanese took this word and katakanized it
forming ベランダ. But, why there isn't there an actual Japanese word? Is it
because long balcony or terrace is uncommon in Japanese architecture or any
other reason?




Traditional Japanese houses are made of wood, so it was indeed fairly uncommon
to have balconies above the first (ground) floor due to durability issues.
However, some castles and temples did have one or more balcony-like
structures, and such structures were called **縁側** ([
_engawa_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engawa)) or simply **縁** ( _en_ ) in
non-katakana Japanese. Wraparound ones were also called 廻縁 ( _mawari-en_ ).
See [this article (in Japanese)](https://shirobito.jp/article/1574) for
details. 金閣寺 (aka 鹿苑寺) is an example of an old temple that had 縁側 on upper
floors ([picture](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kinkaku-
ji_close_up.jpg)):

> ### [鹿苑寺](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%B9%BF%E8%8B%91%E5%AF%BA)
>
> 二層は鎌倉時代の武家造りの建築様式で「潮音洞」とよばれ、四周に **縁** と高欄をめぐらし、外面と高欄を全面金箔張りとする。

However, as the linked Wikipedia article suggests, 縁(側) is a word that vaguely
refers to narrow areas around tatami-matted rooms regardless of its height.
Practically, most 縁側 are located slightly above the ground, so they are more
like verandas or decks rather than Western balconies. So you may say Japanese
had no good word that precisely corresponded to English "balcony".

Today, the word 縁側 is used only with traditional Japanese houses. When talking
about western style houses, including apartment houses, we almost always use
ベランダ/バルコニー (if it's on the second floor or above) or テラス (if it's on the first
floor). Note that ベランダ in Japanese normally refers to structures located on
the second floor or higher.

See also: [Why is there ベッドルーム when there's already
寝室?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/84374/5010)

**EDIT** : [This Wikipedia article on
バルコニー](https://ja.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%90%E3%83%AB%E3%82%B3%E3%83%8B%E3%83%BC)
mentions the word 露台, but according to [this
entry](https://kotobank.jp/word/%E9%9C%B2%E5%8F%B0-663692) and actual examples
on 青空文庫, this is a word that was used for a while in the 19th century as the
translation of English _balcony_. This does not mean balcony-like structures
in traditional Japanese buildings were called 露台.




Traditional Japanese houses are made of wood, so it was indeed fairly uncommon
to have balconies above the first (ground) floor due to durability issues.
However, some castles and temples did have one or more balcony-like
structures, and such structures were called **縁側** ([
_engawa_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engawa)) or simply **縁** ( _en_ ) in
non-katakana Japanese. Wraparound ones were also called 廻縁 ( _mawari-en_ ).
See [this article (in Japanese)](https://shirobito.jp/article/1574) for
details. 金閣寺 (aka 鹿苑寺) is an example of an old temple that had 縁側 on upper
floors ([picture](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kinkaku-
ji_close_up.jpg)):

> ### [鹿苑寺](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%B9%BF%E8%8B%91%E5%AF%BA)
>
> 二層は鎌倉時代の武家造りの建築様式で「潮音洞」とよばれ、四周に **縁** と高欄をめぐらし、外面と高欄を全面金箔張りとする。

However, as the linked Wikipedia article suggests, 縁(側) is a word that vaguely
refers to narrow areas around tatami-matted rooms regardless of its height.
Practically, most 縁側 are located slightly above the ground, so they are more
like verandas or decks rather than Western balconies. So you may say Japanese
had no good word that precisely corresponded to English "balcony".

Today, the word 縁側 is used only with traditional Japanese houses. When talking
about western style houses, including apartment houses, we almost always use
ベランダ/バルコニー (if it's on the second floor or above) or テラス (if it's on the first
floor). Note that ベランダ in Japanese normally refers to structures located on
the second floor or higher.

See also: [Why is there ベッドルーム when there's already
寝室?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/84374/5010)

**EDIT** : [This Wikipedia article on
バルコニー](https://ja.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%90%E3%83%AB%E3%82%B3%E3%83%8B%E3%83%BC)
mentions the word 露台, but according to [this
entry](https://kotobank.jp/word/%E9%9C%B2%E5%8F%B0-663692) and actual examples
on 青空文庫, this is a word that was used for a while in the 19th century as the
translation of English _balcony_. This does not mean balcony-like structures
in traditional Japanese buildings were called 露台.

