Slovenian
/sloʊˈviːniən/noun
Relating to Slovenia, its people, or their language; a person from Slovenia.
Did you know?Slovenian belongs to the Slavic naming tradition built around Proto-Slavic *Slověně, often interpreted as “people of the word,” possibly contrasting them with neighboring peoples whose languages sounded unintelligible.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ḱlew-
“To hear; to be heard or renowned—a root associated with hearing, speech, and fame.”
Proto-Slavic
Proto-Slavic
*slovo
“Word, speech, or language.”
Proto-Slavic
Proto-Slavic
*Slověně
“The people associated with speech or language; the ancestral ethnonym behind Slavs and Slovenes.”
9th–10th Century
Old Church Slavonic
словѣни (Slověni)
“Slavic people; the recorded plural ethnonym used in early Slavic religious texts.”
14th–16th Century
Middle Slovene
Sloveni / Slovenci
“Names used for Slovenian-speaking people in medieval and early modern sources.”
19th Century
English
Slovenian
“An English adjective and noun referring to Slovenia, its inhabitants, or their language.”
Modern English
English
Slovenian
“Relating to Slovenia or its people and language; a person from Slovenia.”