Where does “barley” come from?
Barley comes from Middle English barli, from Old English bærlīċ, derived from Old English bere, from Proto-Germanic baraz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰars-.
barley (English): A cereal of the species "Hordeum vulgare", or its...
Definitions
- A cereal of the species "Hordeum vulgare", or its...
Ancestry of “barley”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | barly | barley plant |
| 2 | Old English | bærlīċ | barley-like |
| 3 | Old English | bere | barley; first-person singular present indicative... |
| 4 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 7 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |