Etymology tree
substrateder.?
Proto-Indo-European *ḱlewH-der.?
Proto-Slavic *slov-
Proto-Slavic *-ǫta
Proto-Slavic *Slov-?
Proto-Balto-Slavic *-ēnas
Proto-Indo-European *-nós
Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos
Proto-Slavic *-inъ
Proto-Slavic *-ěninъ
Proto-Slavic *slověninъder.
Ancient Greek Σκλαβηνός (Sklabēnós)der.
Byzantine Greek Σκλᾰ́βος (Sklắbos)bor.
Medieval Latin Sclāvusbor.
Middle English Sclave
English Slav
From Middle English Sclave, borrowed from Medieval Latin Sclavus, from Byzantine Greek Σκλάβος (Sklábos); see that entry for more. Doublet of slave and ciao. Displaced native Old English Wined.
Meanings
Synonym of Slavic.
She spoke French with a very Slav accent. 1961, Darrell Bates, The Shell at My Ear, London: Rupert Hart-Davis, […], page 132:
‘Zorka is a strange name for an English girl,’ Nicky said musingly as they sat down, wanting to know more about the girl who was his daughter. ‘It is a very Slav name. Is your sister perhaps very Slav, Captain Fielding? Is she more Slav than English?’ / Amused by Kechko’s continuing interest in his family Stephen took the plate proferred him, saying truthfully, ‘My sister is very Slav in both looks and temperament.’ 1994, Margaret Pemberton, Zadruga: The Story of a Family and a Country, London: Corgi Books, Transworld Publishers Ltd, →ISBN, pages 496–497:
If black Persian is what you want, there’s a very Slav coat, full-length, with fuchsia wool lining and with pockets sticking out on either hip, and there’s a three-quarter affair with a small, rolled collar, a narrow tuxedo front bound with silk braid, and a full, loose back. 1943, The New Yorker, page 48, column 2:
The big advantage of learning Russian is that, once you’re proficient, you can understand other Slav languages such as Czech, Polish or Bulgarian. 2021 April 25, John Malathronas, “Which languages are easiest – and most difficult – for native English speakers to learn?”, in CNN, archived from the original on 22 Mar 2022:
Obliged by my own question to face him if it were to appear as innocent as it actually was, I took in his features. It was not a very Slav face. 1975, Sarah Gainham [pseudonym; Rachel Ames], To the Opera Ball, London: Macmillan London Limited, →ISBN, page 245:
The drawing by Tchelitchew is beautiful, but not at all like the character of the gardener whom it portrays. He was an educated head gardener. This is a peasant; a very Slav peasant at that. 1991, John Lowe, Edward James, Poet, Patron, Eccentric: A Surrealist Life, London: Collins, →ISBN, pages 137–138:
The young Jugoslav taxidriver who took us to the airport drove with a discontented and furious disdain. He took a very Slav view of the migration. He had gone out as a boy of 17 eight years before, and cared very little for it. 1965, Peter Black, The Poms in the Sun, London: Michael Joseph Ltd, page 230:
Arising out of her intercourse with the Slavs of the interior, Dubrovnik became a very Slav city, both in manners and in sympathy. 1932, Oona H[oward] Ball, Dalmatia, London: Faber & Faber Limited, […], page 45:
While the social system could thus be improved, [G. Stanley] Hall knew that heredity was more important. He argued that a pound of heredity was “worth a hundredweight of education.” It was necessary to pay attention to better breeding: “The nation that breeds best, be it Mongol, Slav, Teuton or Saxon, will rule the world in the future.” 1986, Clarence J. Karier, Scientists of the Mind: Intellectual Founders of Modern Psychology, Urbana, Ill.; Chicago, Ill.: University of Illinois Press, →ISBN, page 183:
Etymology tree
substrateder.?
Proto-Indo-European *ḱlewH-der.?
Proto-Slavic *slov-
Proto-Slavic *-ǫta
Proto-Slavic *Slov-?
Proto-Balto-Slavic *-ēnas
Proto-Indo-European *-nós
Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos
Proto-Slavic *-inъ
Proto-Slavic *-ěninъ
Proto-Slavic *slověninъder.
Ancient Greek Σκλαβηνός (Sklabēnós)der.
Byzantine Greek Σκλᾰ́βος (Sklắbos)bor.
Medieval Latin Sclāvusbor.
Middle English Sclave
English Slav
From Middle English Sclave, borrowed from Medieval Latin Sclavus, from Byzantine Greek Σκλάβος (Sklábos); see that entry for more. Doublet of slave and ciao. Displaced native Old English Wined.
Meanings
A member of any of the peoples of Europe who speak the Slavic languages.
vec slavo (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · bg славя́нка (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ca eslava (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · tr Slav (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ang Wined (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · sh Sloven (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · hi स्लाव (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · sk Slovan (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · sl Slovánka (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · hsb Słowjan (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · tk slawýan (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ky славян (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ar سَلَافِيّ (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · fr slave (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · el Σλάβος (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ka სლავი (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · fur sclâv (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · kk славян (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · sq sllav (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · de Slawin (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · rom das (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · uk слов'яни́н (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · lt slavas (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · be славяні́н (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · sh Словен (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · pox slüvensťĕ (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · mk Словен (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · uz slavyan (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · sh Slaven (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ca eslau (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ro slavă (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · eo slavino (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · fi slaavi (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · da slaver (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · el Σλάβα (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · lt slavė (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · th ชาวสลาฟ (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · mn слав (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · az slavyan (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · cmn 斯拉夫人 (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · uk слов'я́нка (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · pt eslava (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · lv slāviete (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · sh Slavenka (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ar سَلَاف (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · es eslava (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · pl Słowianka (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · grc Σουοβηνός (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ja スラヴ人 (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · vi người Slav (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ru славяни́н (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · pt eslavo (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · et slaavlane (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ast eslavu (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ko 슬라브 사람 (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · mk Словенка (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ar صَقَالِبَة (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · de Slawe (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · sh Славенка (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ru славя́нка (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · hu szláv (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · sh Словенка (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · hy սլավոն (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ro slav (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · pl Słowianin (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · orv словѣнинъ (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · it slavo (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ga Slavacha (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · orv словѣнка (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · sh Slovenka (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · tl Eslabo (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · es eslavo (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · lv slāvs (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · enm Sclave (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ja スラブ人 (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · be славя́нка (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · nl Slaaf (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ky славянин (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · nl Slavische (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · grc Σταυανός (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · fa اسلاو (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · no slav (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ur سلاو (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · ar صَقْلَبِيّ (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · sl Slován (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · sah ньөһа (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · eo slavo (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · sk Slovanka (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · cy Slaf (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · sv slav (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · mn славян (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · la Sclavus (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · sq sllave (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · fa سقلابی (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · gd Slàbhach (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · bg славя́нин (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · yue 斯拉夫人 (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · sh Славен (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · dsb Słowjan (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · it slava (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · cs Slovan (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · he סלאבי (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · fur sclâf (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language) · tg славян (a member of a group of peoples in Eastern Europe speaking a Slavic language)