barbarian

adjectivenounattested in dialogue

United Kingdom//bɑː(ɹ)ˈbɛə.ɹi.ən//
United States//bɑɹˈbɛəɹ.i.ən//

Relating to people, countries, or customs perceived as uncivilized or inferior.

adjective

1
Relating to people, countries, or customs perceived as uncivilized or inferior.

Etymology

From Middle English barbarian, borrowed from Medieval Latin barbarinus (“Berber, pagan, foreigner”), from Latin barbaria (“foreign country”), from barbarus (“foreigner, savage”), from Ancient Greek βάρβαρος (bárbaros, “foreign, non-Greek, strange”), possibly onomatopoeic (mimicking foreign languages, akin to English blah blah). Cognate to Sanskrit बर्बर (barbara, “barbarian, non-Aryan, stammering, blockhead”).

noun

1
historicalA non-Greek or a non-Roman citizen.
2
An uncivilized or uncultured person, originally compared to the hellenistic Greco-Roman civilisation; usually associated with senseless violence and self-harm or other such shows of brute force and lack of mental faculty.
3
A person destitute of culture; a Philistine.
Shall a noble writer, and an inspired noble writer, be called a solecist, and barbarian, for giving a new turn to a word so agreeable to the analogy and genius of the Greek tongue?
4
Someone from a developing country or backward culture.
5
A brutish warrior depicted in sword and sorcery and other fantasy works; typically clad in primitive furs or leather and usually favoring physical strength over intelligence while often possessing a bellicose temperament and disdain for laws.
6
A cruel, savage, inhumane, brutal, violently aggressive person, particularly one who is unintelligent or dim-witted; one without pity or empathy.
Thou fell barbarian.
7
A foreigner, especially with barbaric qualities as in the above definitions.

Forms

plural: barbarians

barb · The point that stands backward in an arrow, fishhook, etc.,…Barb · A diminutive of the female given name Barbara.Barbara · A female given name from Latin.

barbarian · Relating to people, countries, or customs perceived as uncivilized or inferior.

barbaric · of or relating to a barbarian; uncivilized, uncultured or…barbecue · A fireplace or pit for grilling food, typically used outdoors…barbed · Having barbs.

The neighbouring pages — Alphabetical order follows the rules of the language, not byte values: an accent decides only between two otherwise identical words, and Spanish files Ñ as a letter of its own.