Life In Rome, Italy

The word street has its origins in the Latin strata (meaning "paved road"); it is thus related to stratum and stratification. Old English applied the word to Roman roads in Britain such as Ermin Street, Watling Street, etc. Later it acquired a dialectical meaning of "straggling village", which were often laid out on the verges of Roman roads. In the Middle Ages, a road was a way people travelled, with street applied specifically to paved ways.
Role in the built environment
The street is a public easement, one of the few shared between all sorts of people. As a component of the built environment as ancient as human habitation, the street sustains a range of activities vital to civilization. Its roles are as numerous and diverse as its ever-changing cast of characters.