Volvo speak!
In the parts manual Volvo calls the left and right shafts 'drive shafts' which is not to be confused with the incorrectly labeled drive shaft which Volvo calls the 'propeller shaft'.
While on a semantics binge, a drive shaft is technically just a shaft that transfers rotary motion. A drive shaft which has a U joint at either end to accommodate offset is a cardan shaft (named after Gerolamo Cardano from the 16th century who has a very interesting history for those interested in probability theory as applied to gambling). So, Volvo's use of the term drive shaft for the two things in the back axle is correct and everybody who has been calling the cardan shaft a drive shaft is incorrect. However, semantic drift being what it is ......
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