'barley' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'bærlic', where 'bær' meant 'barley' and the suffix '-lic' meant 'related to' or 'like'.

'barley' changed from Old English 'bærlic' to Middle English 'barley' and eventually became the modern English word 'barley'.

Initially, it meant 'related to barley' or 'of barley', and over time it came to refer directly to the grain itself, 'barley'.