Barbarian is a disparaging term for foreigner, one not sharing a recognized culture or degree of polish with the speaker or writer employing the term. The word derives from the Greek, and expresses with mocking duplication ("bar-bar") alleged attempts by outsiders to speak a "real" language. Historically, the term finds widespread use, for example, in categorizing peoples from outside the Roman Empire. Often today, barbarian is used to mean someone violent or uncivilized in general.
Related terms are barbaric and barbarous. See also malapropism.
See also:
- Michael Wall's 1989 play Amongst Barbarians