Definition of barring

The origin of the word "barring" can be traced back to the Old English verb "beran" meaning "to bear" or "to carry." In Middle English, the verb began to take on the meaning "to exclude" or "to prevent" due to the influence of the Old Norse word "berra" meaning "to hinder" or "to bar." The term "bar" in the context of restricting access to a place dates back to the Middle English word "bere" meaning "a barrier" or "a obstruction." This word derived from the Old English verb "berean" meaning "to bar" or "to block" which also influenced the development of the verb "barring" in modern English. The verb "barring" is the present participle form of the verb "bar" and is used to indicate an exception or condition in a statement. Its literal meaning is "preventing, except for" as in "barring any unforeseen circumstances," which suggests that anything other than those circumstances may prevent or hinder something from happening. In summary, the word "barring" evolved from its Old English roots (meaning "to carry" and "to bar") through its Middle English development ("bere") to take on its modern usage as a present participle indicating exceptions or conditions in a statement.