A Greek word for anyone who was not Greek, adopted by the Romans and adopted by domesticated humans ever since for somebody who is not civilized.
The roots of the word is an onomatopoeia- bar bar, like blah blah- the sound of conversation in a language you cannot understand. The roots of the word Barbarian is literally an ancient Greek looking at a non-Greek and shaking his head and then miming "blah blah". The assumption is that, because I can't understand your language, there is something deficient in you rather than me.
Greeks applied this to all non-Greek, Romans applied it to non-Romans. The suggestion is clear. Domesticated humans do not consider other cultures (even other domesticated cultures) fully human.
Hidden in the word barbarian is the assumption that only our culture is true, only our way is acceptable. We have the one true culture. We have the one true religion. We are the one race acceptable to the gods.
Hidden in such as straightforward word is the same fear that permeates domesticated culture, the fear of the other. The king fears his subjects. The nation fears its neighbors. The city fears the woods.
Such a sad small little fear driving so destructive a culture.
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