Where does “barrister” come from?
Barrister derives from English bar, which comes from French barre, ultimately tracing through Ancient Greek βαρύς and Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to carry or bear.
barrister (English): A lawyer with the right to speak and argue as an...
Definitions
- A lawyer with the right to speak and argue as an...
Ancestry of “barrister”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Bar | A solid, more or less rigid object of metal or wood with a uniform cross-section smaller than its length |
| 2 | German | bär | — |
| 3 | Middle High German | bër | bear |
| 4 | Old High German | beri | A berry |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | baʀi | berry |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | bazją | berry |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₂- | to shine, glow light; to speak, say |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeh₂-s-ri- | — |