Final answer:
The Germanic tribes were described as 'barbarians' by the Romans, a term that denotes inferiority or outsider status and originates from the Greek word for 'foreigner.'
Step-by-step explanation:
Because the Germanic tribes lacked the elements of civilization important to the Romans, they were described as barbarians, which is a word still used today to denote inferiors or outsiders. The term barbarian comes from the Greek word barbaros, meaning 'foreigner,' and it was used pejoratively by the Romans to describe cultures they perceived as less civilized. The Romans dismissed the lands held by these groups, such as those in Scotland and Germany, as unsuitable for civilization, and thus considered the Germans to be inferior to other subject peoples like the Celts, who they saw as capable of assimilation into the Empire.