'areaway' originates from English as a compound of 'area' and 'way'; 'area' ultimately comes from Latin 'area' (meaning 'open space') and 'way' from Old English 'weg' (meaning 'path' or 'road').

'areaway' developed as an English compound combining the sense of 'area' (an open or level space) with 'way' (a passage), used to describe an opening or passage leading to a cellar or a sunken lightwell; the term appears in modern English as the established compound 'areaway'.

Initially the components referred separately to 'an open space' and 'a path'; combined, they came to mean 'an opening or passage giving access to a lower area (such as a cellar)' and this sense has been retained in modern usage.