Where does “John Barleycorn” come from?
John Barleycorn (English) comes from English barleycorn, from English barley, from Middle English barly, from Old English bærlīċ, from Old English bere, from Old English tūn, from Proto-West Germanic tūn, from Proto-Germanic tūną — smoke; mist, haze.
John Barleycorn (English): A personification of alcoholic drink, particularly beer and whisky
Definitions
- A personification of alcoholic drink, particularly beer and whisky
Ancestry of “John Barleycorn”, step by step
John Barleycorn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English barleycorn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | barleycorn | A grain of barley; The length of such a grain; a... |
| 2 | English | barley | A cereal of the species "Hordeum vulgare", or its... |
| 3 | Middle English | barly | barley plant |
| 4 | Old English | bærlīċ | barley-like |
| 5 | Old English | bere | barley; first-person singular present indicative... |
| 6 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 9 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 10 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |
via English john
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | john | A prostitute's client; A device or place to... |
| 2 | Middle English | John | An appellation for a generic individual, especially of lower social standing |
| 3 | Anglo-Norman | Jehan | John |
| 4 | Latin | Iōhannēs | — |
| 5 | Latin | Iōannēs | John biblical persons |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | Ἰωάννης | — |
| 7 | Hebrew | יוחנן | Yahweh is gracious |
| 8 | Hebrew | חנון | gracious, merciful, compassionate; passive... |
| 9 | Moroccan Arabic | خنونة | mucus, snot |
| 10 | Arabic | خُنَّة | — |