"Do you commute, or drive to work?"

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Richard - 27 Feb 2007 21:32 GMT

People have asked me this, and it's funny, since "commuting" would
include driving to work. But people think it only means taking public
transportation. Have you noticed this usage also?

Reply to this Message

Peter Duncanson - 27 Feb 2007 22:39 GMT

>People have asked me this, and it's funny, since "commuting" would
>include driving to work. But people think it only means taking public
>transportation. Have you noticed this usage also?

This usage of "commute" did in fact originate in public
transportation.

Webster Dictionary, 1913
http://machaut.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/WEBSTER.sh?WORD=commute

...
2. To pay, or arrange to pay, in gross instead of part by part;
as, to commute for a year's travel over a route.

Since then the meaning of the word has been extended to include any
regular travel from home to work and back.

Signature

Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.english.usage)

Reply to this Message

John Dean - 28 Feb 2007 00:09 GMT

>> People have asked me this, and it's funny, since "commuting" would
>> include driving to work. But people think it only means taking
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> Since then the meaning of the word has been extended to include any
> regular travel from home to work and back.

OED takes it back to early C19:

1889 Cent. Dict., Commuter, one who commutes. 1906 Daily Chron. 25 Feb. 4
There are many business men who practically divide their time between New
York and Chicago, and 'commute' (the American term for taking season
tickets).

Signature

John Dean
Oxford

Reply to this Message

Discussion Groups / English Usage / February 2007

"Do you commute, or drive to work?"