'anteportico' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'anteporticus', where 'ante-' meant 'before' and 'porticus' meant 'porch' or 'covered colonnade'.

'anteporticus' changed into Italian 'anteportico' and eventually became the modern English word 'anteportico' (with the plural 'anteporticoes' attested in English usage by analogy with Latin/Italian forms).

Initially, it meant 'before the portico' (a locative sense), but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a porch or vestibule located before a portico'.