Etymology Explorer › Latin

Where does “barbarus” come from?

barbarus (Latin) comes from Ancient Greek βάρβαρος, from Proto-Indo-European balb-.

barbarus (Latin): foreign; savage; uncivilized

Definitions

  1. foreign; savage; uncivilized

Ancestry of “barbarus”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greekβάρβαροςnon-Greek-speaking, foreign; barbaric, brutal,...
2Proto-Indo-Europeanbalb-—

Words derived from “barbarus”

  • brave
  • Barbara
  • bravely
  • barbarous
  • barbarian
  • bravado
  • Barbie
  • braver
  • bravo
  • barbarously
  • bravura
  • semibarbarous
  • braveness
  • barbarianism
  • barbarousness
  • bravissimo
  • outbrave
  • braven
  • semibarbarian
  • unbrave
  • braveheart
  • embrave
  • unbarbarous
  • bravity
Every word from Proto-Indo-European balb- →