barbarisms
|bar-bar-ism-s|
🇺🇸
/ˈbɑːrbəˌrɪzəmz/
🇬🇧
/ˈbɑː.bə.rɪ.zəmz/
(barbarism)
uncivilized behavior
Etymology
'barbarism' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'barbarismos', where 'barbaros' meant 'foreign, strange, unintelligible'.
'barbarism' changed from Greek 'barbarismos' to Latin 'barbarismus', then via Old French 'barbarisme' and Middle English to become the modern English word 'barbarism'.
Initially, it meant 'foreign or unintelligible speech', but over time it evolved to mean both 'uncivilized behavior' and 'a nonstandard or incorrect word/expression' in language.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
cruel, savage, or uncivilized acts or behavior
The invasion was marked by brutal acts and numerous barbarisms.
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Noun 2
an uncivilized or inhumane act (countable usage)
The war crimes tribunal documented many barbarisms committed by the militia.
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Noun 3
a nonstandard, foreign, or incorrect word or expression in language; a linguistic solecism
The editor criticized the barbarisms in the manuscript for mixing colloquial and archaic forms.
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Last updated: 2026/01/14 02:26