barley

barley · noun¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰers-“spike, prickle”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*baraz
3. Old English · inherited frombærlīċ“barley-like”
4. Middle English · inherited frombarly
5. English todaybarley

From Middle English barly, barli, from Old English bærlīċ (“barley-like”, adjective) (later referring to barley itself and grain crops of similar appearance), from bere (“barley”) (compare Scots bere (“six-rowed barley”)), from Proto-Germanic *baraz (compare Old Norse barr), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰers- (“spike, prickle”). Equivalent to bere + -ly. See English brew.

Barley · proper noun²

1. Old English · derived frombera“bear”
2. English todayBarley

* The village in Hertfordshire is from "Beora's ley," from *Beora + -ley (“clearing, lea”). The former is a personal name from Old English bera (“bear”). * The village in Lancashire is from Old English bar (“boar”) or bere (“barley”) + leah (“clearing”). * As an English surname, from the noun barley. As a south German surname, spelling variant of Behrle, Beerli, themselves related to the noun bear.

Words from the same roots