Barney

Barney

1. A botanical plant name author abbreviation for botanist E.E. Barney (fl. 1877-79).

• Author query of the International Plant Names Index

From either the Old English personal name Bera (genitive singular Beran) or from Old English beren (“growing with barley”) + īeġ (“island”).

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈbɑɹni/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbɑːni/

• Audio (southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)ni
• Hyphenation: Bar‧ney

Barney

1. A male given name transferred from the surname, and a diminutive of Barnabas, Barnaby, Bernard, or Barnett.
2. A diminutive of the male given names Barnabas, Bernard, or Barnett.
3. A surname from Old English based on the given names, or from the place name Barney, Old English "barn/barley island".
4. A city and village in North Dakota.
5. A village in Norfolk, England.

• 1977 Richard F.Snow, Barney Oldfield, American Heritage Magazine, February 1977

  "Who the hell do you think you are — Barney Oldfield?" That was the motorcycle cop’s standard question for fifty years, and even today you can hear it once in a while if you get caught speeding.

• 1999, Ian Rankin, Dead Souls, →ISBN, page 27:

  "Barney Mee?" he said.
  More laughter on the line. "I never knew why everyone called me that."
  Rebus could have told him: after Barney Rubble in The Flintstones. He could have added: because you were a dense wee bastard.

• brayne, nearby