[allendale]

The term barbarian is the Latin derivative of how a Roman would describe the speech of the nothern tribes. To the romans their speech sounded like the bleating of sheep. “Ba...Ba...Ba...Ba”

[MeganC]

Ba ba ba, ba ba rian!
Ba ba ba, ba ba rian!
Barbariaaaan!
Don’t take my laaaand!

(That’s all I got!)

[MoochPooch]

The term barbarian is the Latin derivative of how a Roman would describe the speech of the nothern tribes. To the romans their speech sounded like the bleating of sheep. “Ba...Ba...Ba...Ba”

I thought it had something to do with the Romans' being clean-shaven. They equated these tribes with bearded men -- hence, the word "barbe."

I also heard that the word may have originated from Greek, as well. The xenophobic Greeks equated beards with foreigners.