The term "barbarian" was used by ancient Greek and Roman scholars to describe foreign peoples they believed to be uncivilized, violent, or inferior. The word comes from the Greek word bárbaros, which may have been onomatopoeic, representing the Greeks' perception of languages other than their own. The term took on a negative connotation, becoming associated with the savage natures and vices the Greeks attributed to their enemies. The Romans adopted the term to describe all peoples who were not under Greco-Roman influence or domination, including the German and Celtic peoples to the north, and the Hunnic and Slavic peoples to the northeast.
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