Etymology Map
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Barrel

3 stages from Medieval Latin to English.

Today it means a round wooden container with bulging sides

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

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

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.