Slovakia
/sloʊˈvɑː.ki.ə/noun
A landlocked country in Central Europe, officially the Slovak Republic.
Did you know?The name is connected to the ancient Slavic self-designation, traditionally associated with *slovo*, meaning “word” or “speech,” contrasting with a term for foreigners interpreted as “the mute ones.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱlewH-
“To hear; be spoken of or renowned—an ancestral root often connected with later Slavic words for speech and fame.”
Proto-Slavic
Proto-Slavic
*slovo
“Word; speech.”
Proto-Slavic
Proto-Slavic
*Slověninъ
“A Slavic person, traditionally understood as “one associated with speech or words.””
Medieval Slavic
Old Slovak/Czech
Slovák / Slovensko
“Slovak person / the land of the Slovaks.”
15th–17th Century
Latin and Central European usage
Sclavonia / Slovakia
“Forms used for Slavic or Slovak-associated territories and peoples; spelling and geographical reference varied historically.”
19th Century
English
Slovakia
“The modern English name for the Slovak homeland, standardized through national and European usage.”