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barbaro

barbarian

noun BAR-bah-roh Rare
People & Society Community

Origin: Greek barbaros (foreign, babbling)

Also means

savage

Usage Note

Barbaro (noun) refers historically to the Germanic and other peoples who invaded the Roman Empire (le invasioni barbariche). As an adjective it means 'barbaric' or 'uncivilized.' The original Greek sense was simply 'foreign' (anyone who did not speak Greek); the pejorative connotation developed later. The plural is barbari.

Examples

"I barbari attraversarono il Reno nel quinto secolo."

Natural Translation

The barbarians crossed the Rhine in the fifth century.

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