This is some stuff I've typed up from my American Heritage Dictionary. Watch out, I've got a 13 Volume Set of the OED!
We could go there.
(crossposted from/to Right of Assembly)
American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition, 1992
- A relatively long, straight, rigid piece of solid material used as a fastener, support, barrier, or structural or mechanical member.
That's the first noun definition.
There are twelve of them. Some have a's and b's.
Transitive Verb defs:
- To fasten securely, with a long, straight, rigid piece of material.
- To shut in or out with or as if with bars.
- To obstruct or impede, block.
- To keep out, exclude. See Synonyms at "Hinder."
- To rule out, except.
- To mark with stripes or bands.
- (law) To stop (a claim, or action) , by objection.
Oh, all right.
OED.
OMG, there's like two pages of this stuff about Bar. At least this is the cool multi-volume edition of the OED. So I can read it, what with it having something bigger than four point font.
Well, what about Ban? maybe that's shorter?
Oh, only about half a page.
Huh.
Well, that suggests that banning is a lot less complicated than barring.
Back to the book.
Start with Ban.
Oh, interesting. Ban is about summoning, proclaiming. Commanding.
Prohibit, interdict, curse.
Okay, that's pretty clear.
Preclude, chide. Execrate. "Proclaim under penalty, or with a threat."
Or perhaps merely to proclaim, publicly announce.
"Summon" keeps coming up.
call forth, call for things.
"Ultimately all these go back to the same source; F. ban 'proclamation, publication, summons, proscription, outlawry, banishment, assemblage of military vassals"
etc.
Let's move on to "bar" now. still in my amazing OED (13 volumes!)
"An iron bar used in breaking criminals on the wheel."
Oh, that's good. Old, too. Established.
"A piece of material long in proportion to its thickness or width."
Logic will triumph yet.
"That which confines, encloses, limits, or obstructs, with no special reference to shape."
Oh, I like that. Heretics! Heretics right there in the OED. Who knew?