Where does “semibarbarous” come from?
semibarbarous (English) comes from English barbarous, from Latin barbarus, from Ancient Greek βάρβαρος, from Proto-Indo-European balb-.
semibarbarous (English): Half barbarous; not fully civilised
Definitions
- Half barbarous; not fully civilised
Ancestry of “semibarbarous”, step by step
semibarbarous traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English barbarous
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | barbarous | Not classical or pure; uncivilized, uncultured;... |
| 2 | Latin | barbarus | foreign; savage; uncivilized |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | βάρβαρος | non-Greek-speaking, foreign; barbaric, brutal,... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | balb- | — |
via English semi
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | semi | A semi-detached house; A semitrailer; a... |
| 2 | English | semi- | half; partial, incomplete; somewhat, rather,... |
| 3 | Latin | sēmi- | half |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | sēmi | half; partially |