<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2 FAMILY="SERIF" FACE="Palatino Linotype" LANG="0">The word derives from the (late) Latin "barra". It remains unchanged in the Romance languages, except in French in which it is spelled as "barre", a term quite familiar to balletomanes; in English it became "barrier" and variations of it signified its intended meaning: impediment. <BR>
Over time, a shortened variation, bar, came to indicate the separation between those who ate and drank in public establishments and those who served them; it extended to ancillary services and it came to be applied to what could be referred to as an "inn". Very few countries, (none in Europe, to my knowledge), apply the term "bar" to places which are principally for drinking. <BR>
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