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bistro
bistro (b�stro, b�s�tro) noun plural bistros 1. A small bar, tavern, or nightclub. 2. A small, informal restaurant serving wine.
[French bistro and or bistrot, tavern owner, tavern.]
Word History: According to a popular story, bistro came into existence as a French word when Russian soldiers entered Parisian restaurants and caf�s after the fall of Napoleon in 1815 shouting "bystro, bystro," Russian for "quickly, quickly." Bistros seem to have been named not for this desire for quick service but possibly for a commodity to be found in at least some of them, since the French word bistro may be related to the word bistouille, "raw spirits, rotgut." Another possibility is that the word bistro comes from the dialectal word bistraud, "young cowherd." In Standard French the term may have come to mean "wine merchant's helper" and then "an establishment selling wine." Although the French word bistro is first recorded in 1884, evidence for the English word bistro is not found until the early 1920's.
The American Heritage� Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition copyright � 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version licensed from INSO Corporation; further reproduction and distribution restricted in accordance with the Copyright Law of the United States. All rights reserved.
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Bob W wrote:
Hi,
I am more inclined to believe the Russian version on the story. The Russian word byistra is almost perfect match for the French bistro while the "trot" leaves the front part of the word un-answered.
According to my school French teacher, who first told me the etymology I described, the 'bis' part of the word was Old French (or possibly Provencal or some other related language from the medieval period when he claimed the word arose). The combination of 'bis trot' meaning 'on the hoof' would explain 'bis' as an extinct preposition. However, I have found no support for that version.
This online etymological dictionary, which certainly looks quite respectable, http://atilf.inalf.fr/Dendien/scripts/tlfiv5/visusel.exe?11;s=3526193550;r=1;nat=;sol=0; says the claim that it is derived from the Russians occupying Paris in 1814 does not have enough evidence*. It suggests some other possibilities, without committing to any one of them.
*Many unrelated languages have similar words with meanings in roughly the same 'sense field', but which can be explained by coincidence. I think the similarity between the Russian and French words is coincidence. Can you imagine the French starting to call their bars 'Schnells' after WWII? I don't think so.
I was rather surprised to see the word apparently first recorded as late as 1845. That kind of kills my medieval theory.
-- graywolf http://graywolfphoto.com
"You might as well accept people as they are, you are not going to be able to change them anyway."
