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bar·bar·i·an

(bär-bârē-ən)

a. A member of one of the non-Greek peoples in the ancient world, regarded by the ancient Greeks as culturally inferior.

b. A member of any of various peoples living outside the Roman Empire or not fully integrated into Greco-Roman civilization.

2. A member of a people considered uncivilized or culturally inferior by members of another people.

3. A crude, uncivilized, or brutal person.

[French barbarien, from barbare, barbarous, from Latin barbarus; see BARBAROUS.]

bar·bari·an adj.

bar·bari·an·ism n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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