Trecile, thanks for this post! I, too, have thought about this and have found the discussion very interesting, especially how language can shape our perceptions. Very thought provoking.
I, too, consider myself a walker, not a hiker - I just like to walk, mostly locally from my house without having to drive somewhere to get started, but also at least once/week I do drive to a local nature preserve to walk on trails in nature and get more elevation - my pace is slower there than walking on roads because of uneven surfaces and having to pick my way up and down rocky or wet areas. I usually walk about 12 miles, usually at least 5-6 hours, so it feels worth the drive (walking locally, a 12-miler would be more like a 4 hour commitment). I would do it more often if I lived closer to open areas (admit I'm a little jealous of the posters who have this!), because I don't enjoy having to drive 30 minutes to get there and get back in the car when I'm done. I haven't really been tempted to drive farther for other places - I mostly explore "new" places on trips to other states or countries (New Zealand is next, Feb 2024 walking trip on South Island!).
I've never really thought of what I do as "hiking", that in my mind conjures up something more challenging in terms of gear and more technical or otherwise challenging trails - definitely not on local streets, ha!
I live in hilly Connecticut, in a town where there's not a lot of heavy car traffic, town center about 3 miles away, and a NY town 4 miles in the other direction, but I seldom walk to a "destination" or run errands, I just walk one of several loops and return home, 4-12 miles, depending, rarely stopping - there's something very satisfying about feeling the miles accumulate, watching the seasons change, and just plain moving. It's not like being in nature, but it is beautiful here in all seasons and enough variety that I enjoy it, and one of the reasons I think I was attracted to walking the Camino - can't wait to go back!