barrel
BAIR-uhl · noun
Origin
English barrel comes from Middle English barel, from Anglo-Norman and Old French baril, a word of uncertain origin. Its likeliest source is Frankish or Gothic, from Proto-Germanic *barilaz/*bērilaz, itself from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- meaning 'to carry, transport' — the same root behind the word bear.
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Journey
The link to *barre (bar, rod) fits the sound but not the sense, so the more convincing story ties the word to carrying and containers rather than to bars or bolts.
Related words
It's built the same way as bear, with a -le suffix added to the root for carrying — making a barrel, at its core, 'a thing for bearing or transporting.'