Slavophile
/ˈslɑːvəfaɪl/noun
A person who admires or is strongly interested in Slavic culture, history, or institutions, especially Russian culture.
Did you know?Slavophile was coined in 19th-century Russia, built from Slav- plus Greek -phile, showing how political identity words often borrow the language of devotion and desire.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰel-
“to love, wish, or be fond of”
Ancient Greek
Greek
phílos / -phílos
“dear, beloved; loving”
Old Church Slavonic
OCS
Slověninŭ
“a Slav; a Slavic person”
19th Century
Russian
славянофил (slavyanofil)
“a lover or admirer of Slavic, especially Russian, culture and institutions”
Modern English
English
slavophile
“a person who admires Slavic culture, especially Russian culture”
Explore more surprising origins