An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Barch

by Friedrich Kluge

Barch, m., ‘castrated hog,’ from MidHG. barc (barges), OHG. barug and barh; comp. AS. bearh, bearg, E. barrow, Du. barg, berg, OIc. bǫrgr; Goth. *bargws (*burgus). No evidence of a pre-Teut. stem bhargh, bhark, for ‘hog, can be adduced from other languages. Lat. verres and Sans. varâha-s, ‘boar,’ cannot be allied to it, any more than Lat. porcus, which belongs to Ferkel. It is more probable that Russ. borov (primit. Slav. *borovŭ) is a cognate.