An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/baar

by Friedrich Kluge

baar, adj., from the equiv. MidHG. and OHG. bar (nom. MidHG. barer, barwer, OHG. barêr), adj., ‘naked, bare, denuded, free, empty.’ It corresponds to OSax. bar, AS. bœr, E. bare, OIc. berr, ‘naked, bare'; Goth. *baza- is wanting. The r of the non-Goth. dialects is an old s (not r) as is proved by the affinity to OSlov. bosŭ, Lith. basas, ‘bare-footed,’ which, as well as the Teut. adjs., point to an Aryan bhosó-s, ‘denuded’ (with regard to the antiquity of this idea see nackt). Comp. also Armen. bok, ‘naked,’ which is based upon bhosko-; besides, E. bald (MidE. balled) points to a Goth. participle *bazlôþs (AS. *bœllod). Perhaps entbehren is also connected with the root bhes. Comp. further barsch.