'antae' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'anta' (plural 'antae'), which was borrowed from Ancient Greek 'ἀντή' (antē), where the root meant 'front' or 'end (of a wall)'.

'anta' changed from the Ancient Greek word 'ἀντή' and entered Latin as 'anta' (plural 'antae'), and the term was later used in English architectural writing to refer to these wall-end projections, preserving the plural form 'antae'.

Initially it meant 'front' or 'end (of a wall)' in Greek; over time the meaning narrowed in architectural usage to refer specifically to the rectangular, pillar-like projection at a wall's end, which is the modern sense.