'barkier' originates from English, specifically the adjective 'barky', where the suffix '-y' meant 'characterized by' and the comparative suffix '-ier' indicates 'more'.

'barky' was formed from the noun 'bark' (Old English 'beorc'/'beorc' meaning the covering of a tree) plus the adjectival suffix '-y'; 'bark' came into Middle English as 'bark' from Old English 'beorc'.

Initially, 'bark' primarily referred to tree covering and also to the sound a dog makes; over time adjectival forms like 'barky' and comparative 'barkier' have come to mean either 'more covered with bark' or 'more inclined to bark', depending on context.