Derivation of BARBAROS

Theodore H. Mann theomann at earthlink.net
Wed Sep 11 18:34:57 EDT 2002


BlankGreetings:

In connection with Acts 28:2, I recently read the following statement in The
Expositor's Bible Commentary (Zondervan: Vol. 9, p. 564):  "Luke calls the
natives who welcomed them HOI BARBAROI, which NIV well translates
unperjoratively as 'islanders.'  BARBAROI is an onomatopoetic word: to the
Greeks and Romans strange languages sounded like 'bar-bar-bar,' hence the
word 'barbarian.' "  This struck me as rather curious, so I thought I'd
check to see if it's true.  Does anyone know?

Many thanks.

Ted
Dr. Theodore "Ted" H. Mann
theomann at earthlink.net
http://home.earthlink.net/~theomann






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