_Barrister_ (Vol. iv., p. 472.).--The derivation of this word proposed
by W. Y. can only be looked upon as a joke, as he himself seems to
regard it. "Roister" can have no more to do with it than "oyster" has
with such words as "songster, spinster, maltster, punster, tapster,
webster," &c., in which "ster" is the A.S. termination to denote one
whose business is "song, or spinning," &c. Thus from the Mediæval Latin
"barra" we get "barraster, one whose business is at the bar;" this is
confirmed by the old mode of spelling the word, viz., "barrester and
barraster." See Spelman's _Glossary_, v. Cancellarius--
"Dicuntur etiam _cancelli_ septa curiarum quæ _barras_ vocant;
atque inde Juris candidati causas illic agentes, Budæo
_Cancellarii_, ut nobiscum _Barrestarii_."