Why do we park in a driveway and drive in a parkway?

Answer 1

Well, driveways are called driveways, because you DRIVE on them to get to your house. In the past, you would drive about 1/4 of a mile to get to your house. Now-a-days, driveways are much shorter, so it doesn't work as well anymore. Also, you aren't supposed to park on your driveway. Your driveway is supposed to be used to get from the main street to your house. Parkway is notabley the same. You would park on a parkway, because it was one of the few streets in a town you could park on. Now, all streets you can park on, but they still use it in road names.

Answer 2

Let's get one thing cleared up right off the bat: you can drive on the driveway. Indeed, if you'll permit me to wax philosophical for a moment, this is the very essence of drivewayness--to enable you to drive from the street to your garage. Moreover, you can park on the parkway, if you're willing to risk the wrath of the law. I don't know that this clarifies things much, but it seemed like a point worth making.

I think the crux of the issue, however--I love using words like crux--is the dual meaning of "park."

Park in the sense of tended greenery and park in the sense of stowing your vehicle, though deriving from the same root, diverged in meaning long ago. In Old French, a parc was an enclosure. To this day a military park means an area where vehicles are stored and serviced. As early as 1812 there was a verb "to park," meaning to store one's howitzers in a military park. This carried over to carriages and ultimately to any sort of vehicle.

Our notion of landscaped parks, meanwhile, derives from the medieval practice of enclosing game preserves for the use of the aristocracy. The term was later applied to the grounds around a country estate, then to royal parks in London to which the proles were grudgingly admitted, and finally to any landscaped public grounds. The idea of enclosure is still evident in expressions like "ball park," for an enclosed playing field. Any more questions, smart stuff?

Answer 3

It's obvious!!!
the people that descided to name things thought that they were geniuses and decided to make life hard for all of us.

Stop making life harder than it has to be. (to the wierdos in life that eat a bowl of retardos for breakfast) I am totally joking.

I heard this about 5 years ago.

Answer 4

lol! That's great. I've never thought of that.

I honestly don't know!