barbarous: [15] Originally, a barbarous person was a ‘foreigner’, anyone who did not speak your own language. Greek bárbaros meant ‘foreign, ignorant’, and it has been speculated that its ultimate signification was ‘unable to speak intelligibly’ (the related Sanskrit barbaras meant ‘stammering’). English acquired the word from Latin barbarus, a modified Vulgar Latin version of which, *brabus, produced Italian bravo and hence, via French, English brave. => brave
barbarous (adj.)
c. 1400, "uncivilized, uncultured, ignorant," from Latin barbarus, from Greek barbaros (see barbarian). Meaning "not Greek or Latin" (of words or language) is from c. 1500; that of "savagely cruel" is from 1580s.
实用例句
1. He thought the poetry of Whitman barbarous.
他认为惠特曼的诗歌太粗俗。
来自柯林斯例句
2. the barbarous treatment of these prisoners of war
对这些战俘的残酷待遇
来自《权威词典》
3. They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities.
他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行.
来自《简明英汉词典》
4. It was barbarous to treat prisoners in that manner.
