no-parking
UK[ˌnəʊ ˈpɑːkɪŋ]US[ˌnoʊ ˈpɑːrkɪŋ]
adj
Used to indicate an area where vehicles are not allowed to be parked.
Morpheme Breakdown
no
parking
no
negative
parking
gerund of 'to park'
Etymology
The compound 'no-parking' is a modern, functional formation in English, directly combining the fundamental negative adverb 'no' with the gerund 'parking'. The word 'no' has a deep Germanic lineage, tracing back to Proto-Indo-European ne, the essential particle of negation. 'Parking' derives from the verb 'park', which entered English in the Middle English period, originally meaning 'to enclose' and later specializing to the act of leaving a vehicle in a designated space. The fusion of these two elements creates a transparent, regulatory term whose literal meaning, "not parking," perfectly captures its modern function as a prohibitive sign or designation.
Analysis
Structure: no (negative) + parking (gerund of 'to park')
no: From Old English 'nā', a compound of 'ne' (not) + 'ā' (ever). A negative particle.
parking: From the verb 'park', of uncertain origin, possibly from Old French 'parc' (enclosure) + the English gerund suffix '-ing', indicating the action or result of the action.
Examples
The street had clear no-parking signs along the curb.
We got a ticket for stopping in a no-parking zone during rush hour.
The area in front of the hydrant is strictly no-parking at all times.