Barbarian
/bɑːrˈbɛr.i.ən/noun
A member of a community or tribe not belonging to one of the great civilizations (e.g., ancient Rome or Greece).
Did you know?The term 'barbarian' was originally used by the ancient Greeks to mock non-Greek speakers, believing their speech sounded like incomprehensible babbling.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bar-
“to stammer or stutter, associated with unintelligible speech.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
βάρβαρος (barbaros)
“a foreigner, specifically one whose speech is incomprehensible.”
Latin
Latin
barbarus
“foreign, strange, uncivilized.”
Old French
Old French
barbare
“an uncivilized person, a savage.”
Middle English
Middle English
barbarien
“a person from a foreign land, often with connotations of cruelty or lack of culture.”
Modern English
English
barbarian
“a member of a community considered uncivilized or primitive.”