barley

Etymology

From Middle English barli, barly, from Old English bærlīċ (“barley-like”, adj.) (later referring to barley itself and grain crops of similar appearance), from bere (“barley”) (compare Scots bere (“six-rowed barley”)), from Proto-Germanic *baraz (compare Old Norse barr), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰars- (“spike, prickle”). Compare Welsh bara (“bread”), Latin far (“spelt”), Serbo-Croatian бра̏шно/brȁšno (“flour”), Albanian bar (“grass”), Ancient Greek Φήρον (Phḗron, “plant deity”).

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbɑɹli/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbɑːli/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)li

Noun

barley (usually uncountable, plural barleys)

1. A cereal of the species Hordeum vulgare, or its grains, often used as food or to make beer and other malted drinks.

Further reading

• barley on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Hordeum vulgare on Wikispecies.Wikispecies

Anagrams

• Braley, barely, bearly, bleary

Etymology

Probably a corruption of English parley.

Interjection

barley

1. A cry for truce in children's games.