different between heathenish vs barbarian

English

Etymology

heathen +? -ish

Adjective

heathenish (comparative more heathenish, superlative most heathenish)

1. Somewhat like a heathen.

English

Etymology

From Middle English barbarian, borrowed from Medieval Latin barbarinus (“Berber, pagan, Saracen, barbarian”), from Latin barbaria (“foreign country”), from barbarus (“foreigner, savage”), from Ancient Greek ???????? (bárbaros, “foreign, non-Greek, strange”), possibly onomatopoeic (mimicking foreign languages, akin to English blah blah). Cognate to Sanskrit ????? (barbara, “barbarian, non-Aryan, stammering, blockhead”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /b??(?).?b??.?i.?n/
• (US) IPA^(key): /b??.?b???.i.?n/
• Rhymes: -???i?n

Adjective

barbarian (not comparable)

1. Relating to people, countries or customs perceived as uncivilized or inferior.

Synonyms

• barbaric
• barbarous

Translations

Noun

barbarian (plural barbarians)

1. (historical) A non-Greek or a non-Roman.
2. An uncivilized or uncultured person, originally compared to the hellenistic Greco-Roman civilisation; often associated with fighting or other such shows of strength.
3. (derogatory) Someone from a developing country or backward culture.
4. A warrior, clad in fur or leather, associated with sword and sorcery stories.
5. (derogatory) A person destitute of culture; a Philistine.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of M. Arnold to this entry?)
6. A cruel, savage, brutal person; one without pity or humanity.
   • 1712, Ambrose Philips, The Distrest Mother

     Thou fell barbarian.

7. (derogatory) A foreigner, especially with barbaric qualities as in the above definitions.

Synonyms

• (foreigner): alien, outlander, peregrine; see also Thesaurus:foreigner

Translations

Related terms

• barbarism
• barbarity
• barbarize
• rhubarb
• outlander