Why do we call it 'building' when it is already built?

Answer 1

the same reason we drive on parkways and park in driveways.

Answer 2

Reasons why the English language is so hard
to learn:

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) After a number of inje ctions my jaw got number.
19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is
no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither
apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't
invented in England nor French fries in France.

Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which
aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted.
But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand
can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea
pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don't
fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham?
If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of
booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose,
2 m eese? One index, 2 indices?

Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but
not one amend. If you have a bunch of odds and ends
and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a
vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian
eat?
All the English speakers should
be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.
In what language do people:

Recite at a play and play at a recital?
Ship by truck and send cargo by ship?
Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same,
while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language
in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in
which you fill in a form by filling it out and in
which, an alarm goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and
it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of
course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the
stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights
are out, they are invisible.

Answer 3

Actually while being built, they were said to be building, then afterwards, people continued to say so & it became a common noun. Just like a wall hanging, even if kept on table, not hanging, still called a wall hanging, being a common noun.
The 'ing' continuous status does not apples to the words like this when they become a noun, & popularised.

Answer 4

Who told you that a building is already built? Building is a word used to denote a structure, construction, edifice, shop etc during its manufacturing (building) stages.
When it is finally built (completed) it is normally christened with a proper name, for example ‘Taj Mahal’ etc. Most of us however, continue to call it ‘building’

Answer 5

Make the eyes water to think about erecting a building

Answer 6

Because it is named after the first person to create an enclosed structure: Mr. William Ding, called "Bill" by his friends.

Answer 7

Thats a great question. (they are building a building)

Why do we say to turn off the light, when its the switch that we are actually turning off??
Why do we say to turn off the water, when its acutually the faucet that we are turning.?
Why, in newer cars, do we say to roll down the window, when its a button we push?
Why say "take a leak" when we dont really take it anywhere?

Answer 8

There are certain words in English which could be used both as verb and noun.

So is the case with Building..........Am I right?

Answer 9

built

Answer 10

Same as when we say 'apartments' and everyone lives close together, or 'departments' and all the stores are in the same mall. And 'strip malls' when no one strips there.
Contradictory speech galore.

Answer 11

It's conspirecy I tell you! The goverment must be hiding something!