Berber

B3E1R1B3E1R1
UK/ˈbɜːbə/Canada, US/ˈbɝ.bɚ/

noun

A member of a particular ethnic group indigenous to Western North Africa.

Similar
AmazighImazighen
OriginArabic بَرْبَرِيّ (barbariyy) ← Ancient Greek βάρβαρος (bárbaros) →
Less commonScrabble 10
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Meanings

nounBerber (plural Berbers or Berber)

plural Berbers

  1. potentially offensive; occasionally proscribed; potentially offensive; occasionally proscribedA member of a particular ethnic group indigenous to Western North Africa.

    Synonyms: Amazigh, Imazighen

  2. plural only "Berbers"A kind of traditional rug manufactured by the Berber people.

    Berbers are the best example of looped carpet […]

    2009, Jean Nayar, Staged to Sell (or Keep) (page 55)
proper noun
  1. A group of closely related Afroasiatic languages spoken in northern Africa, particularly Morocco and Algeria.
adjectiveBerber (not comparable)
  1. not comparableOf the Berber people, their culture, or their language.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA member of a particular ethnic group indigenous to Western North Africa.

Similar
AmazighImazighen
Also see
amazigh

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekβάρβαρος (bárbaros)
  2. Arabicبَرْبَر (barbar)
  3. Arabicـِيّ (-iyy)
  4. Arabicبَرْبَرِيّ (barbariyy)
  5. EnglishBerber

From Arabic بَرْبَرِيّ (barbariyy, “Berber”), from Ancient Greek βάρβαρος (bárbaros, “non-Greek, foreign, barbarian”), apparently imitative of foreign speech. Cognate of English barbarian.

More words from Arabic, Ancient Greek

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek Μάξυος
  • Μάξυος (Máxuos)Member of northwest African ethnic group
Arabic أَمَازِيغِيّ, أَمَازِيغِيَّة
  • أَمَازِيغِيّ (ʔamāzīḡiyy)Member of northwest African ethnic group
  • أَمَازِيغِيَّة (ʔamāzīḡiyya)a group of closely related languages
  • أَمَازِيغِيّ (ʔamāzīḡiyy)of the Berber people
Catalan berber, berber
  • berberMember of northwest African ethnic group
  • berbera group of closely related languages
  • amazica group of closely related languages
  • berberof the Berber people
  • amazicof the Berber people
Chinese Mandarin 柏柏爾 /柏柏尔, 柏柏爾語 /柏柏尔语
  • 柏柏爾 /柏柏尔 (Bóbó'ěr)Member of northwest African ethnic group
  • 柏柏爾語 /柏柏尔语 (Bóbó'ěryǔ)a group of closely related languages
Czech Berber, berberština
  • BerberMember of northwest African ethnic group
  • berberštinaa group of closely related languages
  • berberskýof the Berber people
Danish Berber, berber
  • BerberMember of northwest African ethnic group
  • berberMember of northwest African ethnic group
  • berbiska group of closely related languages
Dutch Berbers
  • Berbersof the Berber people
Esperanto berbero
  • berberoMember of northwest African ethnic group
Finnish berberi, berberi
  • berberiMember of northwest African ethnic group
  • berberia group of closely related languages
  • berberikielia group of closely related languages
  • berberi-of the Berber people
  • berberienof the Berber people
French Berbère, berbère
  • BerbèreMember of northwest African ethnic group
  • berbèrea group of closely related languages
  • berbèreof the Berber people
German Berber, Berberin
  • BerberMember of northwest African ethnic group
  • BerberinMember of northwest African ethnic group
  • Berbera group of closely related languages
Greek Βέρβερος, βερβερικός
  • Βέρβερος (Vérveros)Member of northwest African ethnic group
  • βερβερικός (ververikós)of the Berber people
Hindi बर्बर, बार्बर
  • बर्बर (barbar)Member of northwest African ethnic group
  • बार्बर (bārbar)Member of northwest African ethnic group
  • बर्बर (barbar)of the Berber people
  • बार्बर (bārbar)of the Berber people
Icelandic Berberi, berberskur
  • BerberiMember of northwest African ethnic group
  • berberskurof the Berber people
Irish Beirbeireach, Beirbeiris
  • BeirbeireachMember of northwest African ethnic group
  • Beirbeirisa group of closely related languages
  • Beirbeireachof the Berber people
Italian berbero, berberi
  • berberoMember of northwest African ethnic group
  • berberiMember of northwest African ethnic group
Japanese ベルベル人, ベルベル語
  • ベルベル人 (Beruberu-jin)Member of northwest African ethnic group
  • ベルベル語 (Beruberu-go)a group of closely related languages
  • ベルベル人 (Beruberu-jin)of the Berber people
Korean 베르베르인
  • 베르베르인 (bereubereu'in)Member of northwest African ethnic group
Norwegian Bokmål berber, berbisk
  • berberMember of northwest African ethnic group
  • berbiska group of closely related languages
  • berbiskof the Berber people
Polish Berber, Berberyjka
  • BerberMember of northwest African ethnic group
  • BerberyjkaMember of northwest African ethnic group
  • berberyjskiof the Berber people
Portuguese berbere, berbere
  • berbereMember of northwest African ethnic group
  • berberea group of closely related languages
Russian бербе́р, бербе́рский
  • бербе́р (berbér)Member of northwest African ethnic group
  • бербе́рский (berbérskij)a group of closely related languages
Spanish berebere, beréber
  • berebereMember of northwest African ethnic group
  • berébera group of closely related languages
Swedish berber
  • berberMember of northwest African ethnic group
Turkish Berberi
  • BerberiMember of northwest African ethnic group
Vietnamese người Berber
  • người BerberMember of northwest African ethnic group
Cite this entry
APA

Berber. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Berber

MLA

“Berber.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Berber. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Berber,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Berber.

Source: Berber on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.