Etymology

barberry

B3A1R1B3E1R1R1Y4

Today it means: Any of the thorny shrubs of genus Berberis, which bear yellow flowers and red or blue-black berries. Full definition →

Middle English berberie ← Medieval Latin berberis ← Arabic بَرْبَارِيس
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The story

  1. Arabic · derived fromبَرْبَارِيس
  2. Medieval Latin · derived fromberberis
  3. Middle English · inherited fromberberie
  4. English todaybarberry

From Middle English berberie, from Medieval Latin berberis (on which see Arabic بَرْبَارِيس (barbārīs)), influenced by berie (“berry”). Doublet of berberis and related to Berber.

Words from the same roots

Arabicبَرْبَارِيس all →

berberis

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.