Barbaric
/bɑːrˈbær.ɪk/noun
Characterized by cruelty, brutality, or lack of refinement.
Did you know?Greek barbaros originally imitated the way foreign speech sounded to Greek ears, and only later hardened into a word for the “uncivilized,” proving how a sound can become a social weapon.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bar-bar-
“An imitative sound suggesting unintelligible speech”
Ancient Greek
Greek
βάρβαρος (barbaros)
“A foreigner or one who speaks an unintelligible language”
Late Latin
Latin
barbaricus
“Foreign, non-Roman, uncivilized”
Old French
Old French
barbare
“Barbarous, cruel, uncivilized”
Late Middle English
English
barbaric
“Savage, uncivilized, cruel”