My Response:

1. Montaigne uses this word to describe the people from the other place, adopting the lens of his fellow "civilized" people, but also uses it to describe the people in his society. He notices that they use the word to describe people that are contrary to their own culture, no matter whether they are better or not. He realizes that in many ways, the "barbarians" from that other place lead a much happier, more leisure lifestyle. He also shows how even though their actions (e.g. cannibalism) may seem barbarous, it is actually less so than actions of those in his country (e.g. feeding living people to the dogs/pigs).