Old Englishbær"naked, uncovered, unclothed," from Proto-Germanic*bazaz(source also of Germanbar, Old Norseberr, Dutchbaar), from PIE*bhoso-"naked" (source also of Armenianbok"naked;" Old Church Slavonicbosu, Lithuanianbasas"barefoot"). The meaning "sheer, absolute" (c. 1200) is from...