Barbarians
/ˌbɑːrˈbɛəriənz/noun
People regarded as uncivilized or primitive by another culture.
Did you know?The term began as an imitation of unintelligible speech in Ancient Greek, then was used by Greeks and Romans to mark outsiders as culturally inferior—proof that words can become weapons.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
βάρβαρος (bárbaros)
“A foreigner or someone whose speech sounded unintelligible, like “bar-bar.””
Classical Latin
Latin
barbarus
“A foreigner; later, someone seen as uncivilized or savage.”
Late Latin
Latin
barbarianus
“Pertaining to barbarians; a barbarian person.”
Old French
Old French
barbarien
“A barbarian, especially a non-Christian outsider.”
Middle English
English
barbarien
“A foreigner or uncivilized person.”
Modern English
English
barbarian
“A person regarded as uncivilized or primitive.”