'barbary' originates from Medieval Latin, specifically the word 'Barbaria', where 'Barbar-' referred to the Berbers (the indigenous peoples of North Africa).

'Barbaria' passed into Old French as 'Berberie'/'Barberie' and into Middle English as 'Barberie' or 'Barbery', eventually stabilizing as the modern English 'barbary'.

Initially, it meant 'land of the Berbers' (the people); over time it came to denote the broader North African coastal region (the Barbary Coast) and things associated with that region (e.g., 'Barbary pirates', 'Barbary macaque').