Before entering fully into the establishment of the meaning of the term barber, we have to know its etymological origin. In this case, it must be stated that it is a word of Latin origin, the result of the sum of two components:
-The noun “beard”, which refers to what facial hair is.
-The suffix “-ero”, which derives from the Latin “-arius” and was used to indicate membership.
The notion of barber comes from the term beard: the hair that covers the beginning of the neck, the chin and the area of the cheeks. The individual who is dedicated to the care of the beard is called barber.
Barbers, therefore, trim or shave their clients’ beards. In general, these people also take care of the hair (that is, they are hairdressers). It can be said, in this way, that barbers take care of everything related to hair on the face and head.
If we focus on the precise meaning of each term, these days most hairdressers are not barbers, since they do not do beard care, but only comb and cut the hair. In ancient times, however, the barber trade was very common.
The barbers had razors, mirrors, combs and scissors to carry out their work. They also used to have shampoos, lotions, creams and other products that allowed them to carry out their task more efficiently.
The barber’s workplace was called a barbershop. These spaces used to function as social and even political centers, since it was common for the barber and his clients to discuss various topics.
However, it must be stated in the same way that the fact that beards have become fashionable among men has led to barber shops opening their doors in many countries. Yes, in Spain there are many businesses of this type that have been launched in recent years and that offer men the perfect care of their facial hair.
“The Barber of Seville”, on the other hand, is the title of a comedy written by Pierre-Augustin Caron Beaumarchais, which inspired an opera of the same name whose libretto was written by Cesare Sterbini and its music composed by Gioachino Rossini.
It is considered one of the great works of music and tells the story of a couple in love, the Count of Almaviva and the orphan Rosina. A love that will be complicated because there is another man who also wants to get the girl, he will be her tutor. However, young people will be willing to do anything to get married. And they will achieve it with the help of the barber Figaro. This will become his ally to deceive the mentioned tutor and get the count and the orphan to become husband and wife.
It must be stated that this opera was premiered in 1816 in Rome.
Finally, the barber is a fish that is part of the order of the Acantopterygians and that lives in the Antilles area.
