Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “barre chord” come from?

barre chord (English) comes from French barré, from Middle French barre, from Old French barre, from Vulgar Latin barra, from Frankish bara, from Proto-Germanic barō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰerH- — to pierce; to strike; brown.

barre chord (English): A guitar chord played by pressing down multiple...

Definitions

  1. A guitar chord played by pressing down multiple...

Ancestry of “barre chord”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchbarrépast participle of barrer; barred; bendy...
2Middle Frenchbarrebar
3Old Frenchbarrebar
4Vulgar Latinbarrabarrier
5Frankishbarabar, beam, barrier, fence
6Proto-Germanicbarōbeam, bar, barrier
7Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰerH-to pierce; to strike; brown
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰerH- →