Which of the following statements about the usage of the term ‘barbari

Which of the following statements about the usage of the term ‘barbarian’ is/are correct?

  • 1. It is derived from the Greek word ‘barbaros’ which means a non-Greek.
  • 2. Romans used the term for the Germanic tribes, the Gauls and the Huns.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-1 – 2018
The correct answer is (C) Both 1 and 2.
Statement 1 is correct: The term ‘barbarian’ is derived from the ancient Greek word ‘barbaros’, which was originally used to describe non-Greek speakers, implying their language sounded like meaningless babbling (“bar bar”).
Statement 2 is correct: The Romans adopted the Greek term ‘barbaros’ (as ‘barbarus’) and applied it to peoples outside the Greco-Roman world and empire, including various tribes like the Germanic tribes, Gauls, and Huns.
The term ‘barbarian’ carried connotations of being uncivilized, primitive, or lacking culture from the perspective of the Greeks and Romans. Its meaning evolved over time but fundamentally served to differentiate ‘us’ (the civilized) from ‘them’ (the outsiders).