Etymology and origin of the Romanian word bar
bar1 unit of pressure
Etymology tree of bar1
From the same root · bar1
Forms
Etymology
The word for the unit of pressure is borrowed from French bar, perhaps also German Bar and English bar.[3][1][2][4] DELR explains that the Norwegian meteorologist Vilhelm Bjerknes coined it in 1906, first in German, on Ancient Greek βάρος (báros, “weight”), which already named pressure in words such as barometer and baroscope.[3]
Earliest recorded meaning
The first record is in the Lexiconul tehnic român of 1949, which defines the bar as a million baryes.[3][2]
Semantic evolution
The word belongs to physics and meteorology.[1] Its derivatives came in at the same time or soon after: baric “of atmospheric pressure” in 1949, milibar in 1951 and microbar in 1955.[3]
Timeline
- 1949 – bar and baric in the Lexiconul tehnic român, the first record.[3]
- 1951 – milibar.[3]
- 1955 – microbar.[3]
Meanings
Noun
Word family
- baric
- milibar
- microbar
- izobar
bar2 line or refuge in children's games
- Confidence
- Probable
- Formation
- Borrowing
- First attested
- 1905 Ionescu and Teodosiu's description of the game
- Borrowed from
- French barre
- Ultimate origin
- Latin *barra
Forms
Etymology
The word for the line or refuge in children's games is probably borrowed from French barre (“bar, line”), or its plural barres, the name of a running game.[5][2][6] DELR lists it in the family of bară, after the DA, and adds Suciu's comparison with a Turkish word for a fortress or a boundary between fields.[7] DEX calls it of unknown origin.[1]
Earliest recorded meaning
DELR dates the first record to 1905, in Ionescu and Teodosiu's description of the game.[7] MDA2's first record is Pamfile's collection of children's games (1906), for the line drawn on the ground from which children throw stones.[2][6]
Semantic evolution
The word names the boundary line of a game, the back line in oină, and the place where players may rest and take refuge;[2][1] a lua barul is to hit the ball beyond the back line.[2][1] It is also the name of a running game between two teams, in which each tries to take prisoners from the other.[6][5][8]
Timeline
- 1905 – the game and its boundary line in Ionescu and Teodosiu, the first record.[7]
- 1906 – the line from which children throw stones, in Pamfile.[2]
- 1931 – a running game between two teams, in Candrea and Adamescu's dictionary.[8]
Meanings
Noun
bar3 bar, drinking establishment
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Borrowing
- First attested
- 1926 Camil Petrescu's play Mioara
- Borrowed from
- French bar
- Ultimate origin
- Old French barre
Etymology tree of bar3
From the same root · bar3
Forms
Etymology
The word for the drinking establishment is borrowed from French bar and, as MDA2 adds, English bar.[3][1][2][9] The French word was taken from English: DHLF dates it to 1857, short for bar-room.[10][5] The English word, meaning “bar, barrier”, comes from Old French barre, hence the railing that separated the seller of drinks from the customers and then the counter.[3] It is a doublet of bară.[9]
Earliest recorded meaning
DELR dates the first record to 1926, in Camil Petrescu's play Mioara: „ești în fiecare seară la teatru, la restaurant, la bar” “every evening you are at the theatre, at a restaurant, at a bar”;[3][2][11] MDA2 cites the 1946 edition of his plays.[3][2][11]
Semantic evolution
The word names the establishment, its counter and a cabinet for drinks at home, and also a nightclub with music and dancing.[1][2] DLRLC labelled that last sense as belonging to capitalist countries.[11] Derivatives and compounds followed: barman (1933), lactobar (1968), barmaniță (1980) and barista (2010).[3] The press has formed compounds such as bar-cafenea (1972) and bar-discotecă (1973).[12]
Timeline
- 1926 – bar in Camil Petrescu's Mioara, the first record.[3]
- 1931 – defined in the CADE as a French word from English.[13]
- 1933 – barman.[3]
- 1968 – lactobar “milk bar”.[3]
- 1972 – bar-cafenea in the press.[12]
- 1980 – barmaniță “barmaid”.[3]
- 2010 – barista.[3]
Meanings
Noun
- A public place where drinks are served, the customers standing or sitting on high stools at a counter; the counter itself.[1][2]
- A cabinet or compartment for bottles of fine drinks and glasses.[1][2]
- A nightclub with music and entertainment; cabaret.[1][2]
Word family
- barman
- barmaniță
- lactobar
- barista
Related words
- barometru
- bară
Usage notes
MDA2 also records a regional bar “at least”, a form of barem, from a Sălaj glossary of 1890.[2] Tamás derives it from Hungarian bár (“although, at least”).[14]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 89
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 164
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2011–), Dicționarul etimologic al limbii române (DELR), vol. I: A–B (2011), vol. II: C (2015–2018), București: Editura Academiei Române; continued online at delr.lingv.ro, p. s.v. bar
- ^ Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2002), Noul dicționar explicativ al limbii române, București: Litera Internațional, p. s.v. bar
- ^ a b c d Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 150
- ^ a b c d Academia Română (1913–1949), Dicționarul limbii române (DA), ed. Sextil Pușcariu, tom I (A–B, C, D–De) and tom II (F–I, J–Lojniță), București: Socec / Universul / Monitorul Oficial și Imprimeriile Statului; page scans at cflr-scans.solirom.ro, p. s.v. bar
- ^ a b c Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2011–), Dicționarul etimologic al limbii române (DELR), vol. I: A–B (2011), vol. II: C (2015–2018), București: Editura Academiei Române; continued online at delr.lingv.ro, p. s.v. bară
- ^ a b Candrea, I.-A.; Adamescu, Gh. (1931), Dicționarul enciclopedic ilustrat „Cartea Românească", București: Cartea Românească, p. 122
- ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
- ^ Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
- ^ a b c Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 1, 196
- ^ a b Dimitrescu, Florica (1997), Dicționar de cuvinte recente, 2nd ed., București: Logos (with the 3rd ed., 2013, in CLRE), p. s.v. bar
- ^ Candrea, I.-A.; Adamescu, Gh. (1926–1931), Dicționarul enciclopedic ilustrat „Cartea Românească”, București: Cartea Românească, p. s.v. bar
- ^ Tamás, Lajos (1966), Etymologisch-historisches Wörterbuch der ungarischen Elemente im Rumänischen, Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, p. 93
Related etymologies
Cite this entry
“Bar.” Etymologically, 12 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/ro/bar. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.
Last edited on . ·