Berber
|Ber-ber|
B2
🇺🇸
/ˈbɜːrbər/
🇬🇧
/ˈbɜːbə/
North African indigenous people
Etymology
Etymology Information
'Berber' originates from Arabic, specifically the word 'barbar,' where 'barbar' meant 'foreigner' or 'non-Arab'.
Historical Evolution
'barbar' was adopted into Latin as 'Barbarus' and eventually became the modern English word 'Berber'.
Meaning Changes
Initially, it meant 'foreigner' or 'non-Arab', but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'a member of an indigenous people of North Africa'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a member of an indigenous people of North Africa, primarily living in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Libya.
The Berbers have a rich cultural heritage.
Synonyms
Noun 2
the Afro-Asiatic language spoken by the Berber people.
She is fluent in Berber.
Last updated: 2025/07/20 06:28