The ups and downs of it all.

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I’ve used elevators this past few days more frequently than I normally do, having been travelling. I usually prefer to take the stairs (don’t like elevators) but it’s not the best trying to get suitcases up and down stairs so the elevator it had to be. But standing there alone in my metal capsule this morning I got to mulling over a difficulty of language. If an elevator takes its passengers up a few floors it is indeed elevating us - physically if not morally. But on the way down it does the opposite to elevating us, so can it truly be referred to as an elevator on the way down? What is its correct name when carrying passengers in a downward direction?