Where does the word carpool originate from?

Question

it doesnt really make sense. carpool=people driving together

Answer 1

It comes from one of the meanings of pool, which is to combine resources.  You can pool your money in a group to buy something, you can pool your resources (cars) to drive together.  

The word carpool dates to 1962, and dates to 1942 as two separate words, car pool, according to Merriam Webster Dictionary.

pool  

Function:

    transitive verb

Date:

    1879

: to combine (as resources) in a common pool or effort

Main Entry:

    car pool

Function:

    noun

Date:

    1942

: an arrangement in which a group of people commute together by car; also : the group entering into such an arrangement