barrel

Where does the word "barrel" come from? It comes from Medieval Latin barriculus, passing through Old French before entering English (1300s).

Barrel’s story begins in Medieval Latin: barriculus meant “small vessel.” Recorded as 'barriclus', a small cask, around 800 AD; some scholars trace it to a Germanic source. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as baril. A wooden cask bound with hoops. It reached English by 1300s as barrel. Gun 'barrels' date from the 1500s. Today, barrel means a round wooden container with bulging sides.

1. Stage 1 · Medieval Latin · medieval barriculus "small vessel", recorded as 'barriclus', a small cask, around 800 AD; some scholars trace it to a Germanic source.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval baril "cask", a wooden cask bound with hoops.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1300s barrel "cask", gun 'barrels' date from the 1500s.