Etymology Dictionary

BARRICADE,  a hastily made fortification; also, as a verb, to fortify hastily.  (F.,—Span.)   'The bridge, the further end of which was barricaded with barrells;' Hackluyt, Voyages, vol. ii. pt. ii. p. 143.—F. barricade, in Cotgrave barriquade, which he explains as 'a barricado, a defence of barrels, timber, pales, earth, or stones, heaped up, or closed together,' &c.   B. The F. verb was barriquer, formed directly from barrique, a large barrel.   But the F. sb. is clearly a mere borrowing from the Span. barricado, and the Span. spelling appears in English also; e.g. 'having barricadoed up their way;' Hackluyt, Voyages, iii. 568.   The Span. barricado (also barricada) is formed as a pp. from a vb. barricare, which from barrica, a barrel.   Probably from Span. barra, a bar.   See Bar; and cf. Barrel. [†]

ADDENDA

Generally given as (F.,—Ital.); rather (F.,—Span.,—C.)   Florio has baricata, barricada, 'a barricado.'   Barricada looks like a borrowing from Spanish; and it is important to notice that there does not seem to be an Ital. sb. barrica, from which the verb could be made; whereas, in Spanish, barrica is a barrel.