Why is a building called a building if it's already been built?

Question

Why? Wierd english language...

Answer 1

Basic explanation -- in the sentence "The building of this building was complicated." you are using two different forms. Though they look they same, they are used differently and have different meanings, and in fact, different origins. (Though both forms are created from the same root verb, "build", the suffixes were originally different and did different things.)

Actually, this sort of thing is not very unusual at all, as you may be able to see from the examples I list at the very end of my answer. (And, since other languages do the same sort of thing, it is NOT evidence of English being strange.)

More important, speakers of English are seldom if ever confused by these distinct uses (which is what really matters) anymore than they are by such things as very different uses of "the same word". That's because the specific WAYS they are used in actual speech (not all alone, but combined with other words) make the intended form and meaning clear.
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DETAILS:

"this building" uses a noun referring to a concrete OBJECT, that can be counted

"the building of" uses what is essentially a verb form (specifically, a participle) to refer to an action that is in PROCESS; the fact that you THINK of some ACTION going on shows you that this is a verb.


The origins of these two (originally different) forms:

The NOUN form -- in Old English, the suffix -ung (sometimes -ing) was often used to create nouns. This exact ending is still seen in German nouns that end with -ung. The noun can relate to the original verb ("build") in several ways. Often it refers to something that is the RESULT of the process the verb refers to.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-ung
http://www.tu-chemnitz.de/phil/english/chairs/linguist/real/independent/eafrica/Diss_Diana/dissch4-3.htm

There are MANY examples of such words in Modern English. Consider the following nouns which refer to objects which, like "building", are ordinarily NOT "in process" when we speak of them:

painting, dwelling, saying, writing, gathering, bedding, roofing, sacking, clothing, earnings

(There are other, related ways, that Old English formed nouns from verb roots. One of these is the suffix -(at)ion, such as: decision, isolation, explanation. Another is -ment: establishment.)


The VERB form -- in Old English, participles ended with -ende (a form still found in German).

In Middle English these forms fell together. That is, both the participle and noun ends became "-ing". In fact, the use of this form in expressions like "the building of" is a LATE development (whereas "building" as an object is a very old sort of form).
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=261832

For the distinction in the suffixes, see Webster's (1913)
http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=261832
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Note that it is actually quite common for suffixes that look exactly the same to be used in different parts of a language to carry out different functions. This is not usually a problem and should not confuse speakers because the WAY the forms are used in sentences makes it clear which form is meant. Most of the following cases are things you see/hear every day:

-(e)r -- turns a verb into a agentive noun ("maker", "hitter")
OR for the comparative form of an adjective ("bigger")

-(e)s -- a singular present tense verb ending [originally -eth, as in King James "cometh] ("he hits")
OR to make a plural noun form ("hits")
OR (with an apostrophe) to form a possessive

-(e)st -- old ending for verb forms (2nd singular) such as "thou makest"
OR for superlative of adjectives ("finest")

-y -- to form a diminutive ("Timmy")
OR to form adjectives from nouns ("funny")

Answer 2

I agree English is wierd sometimes but what language isn't?
Here's another one why do we say "go off" MY ALARM CLOCK GOES OFF AT 7AM when we are talking about an alarm clock turning ON by itself.

I respectfully disagree with the previous poster who says it is a verb/noun common case because we are using gerund form.
We would never say a forking, raking, a horsing.

Answer 3

he is building a house. Verb (modal)

his house is a nice building . Noun (Modal)

this is a classic case of a modal verb/noun common throughout English .. try these:

fork, rake, horse, ship

all can be used as verbs or nouns

Answer 4

you build a building and after you build a building it has been built.