*barō

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs a noun *barō "man, warrior" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

According to Wiktionary it is inherited from Proto-Germanic *barô (“man”), perhaps an agent noun related to Old Norse berja (“to beat, to fight”).^[1] Köbler derives the Old High German word from a Proto-Germanic *bara-, *baraz "man", and also names a *baro.^[2] Orel sets up a Proto-Germanic masculine *ƀaraz on Crimean Gothic ⟨baar⟩ "boy" and Middle High German bar (“son, man”), and derives it from *ƀeranan.^[3]

Morphology

A masculine noun.^[2]

Evidence

Köbler records Old High German baro "man" in glosses, personal names and charters, and dates the first record, with a query, to 507–511.^[2] He also lists Lombardic baro in the Latin laws of the Lombards, which he dates 643.^[2] Wiktionary names no other old West Germanic language with the word, only Old High German and Latin barō.^[1] Gamillscheg traces French baron "baron", recorded from the 11th century, and Old French ber to a Frankish *baro, which Kögel showed to be Germanic.^[4] In the Lex Salica the ⟨sacibarones⟩ were royal officials who, among other things, received fines.^[4] Among the Old French derivatives that go back before the 8th century, barnil (“manly”) is formed from the word in its original sense "man".^[4]

Competing analyses

Gamillscheg, following Brüch, doubts that the word was already West Germanic, since it is a term of the Frankish feudal order.^[4] Following Meyer-Lübke, he also separates the Latin ⟨baro⟩ of Isidore of Seville and later glosses, which he identifies with Latin varō (“lout”) and holds to have nothing to do with the Frankish word,^[4] while Wiktionary counts the Latin word among the descendants of *barō.^[1] Wiktionary also suggests a possible relation to Old English beorn (“man, warrior”).^[1]

Meanings

1. man^[1][2]

Wiktionary also gives the sense "warrior", which is not among Köbler's glosses of the Old High German word.^[1][2]

Reflexes

• Old High German: baro (“man”)^[2]
• Frankish: *baro^[4]
• Lombard: baro^[2]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *barō
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Althochdeutsches Wörterbuch, 6th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. baro
3. ^ Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 36
4. ^ a b c d e f Gamillscheg, Ernst (1966–1969), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der französischen Sprache, 2nd, fully revised ed., Heidelberg: Winter, p. 99