Slav
- one of a group of peoples in eastern, southeastern, and central Europe, including the Russians and Ruthenians (Eastern Slavs), the Bulgars, Serbs, Croats, Slavonians, Slovenes, etc. (Southern Slavs), and the Poles, Czechs, Moravians, Slovaks, etc. (Western Slavs).
- of, relating to, or characteristic of the Slavs; Slavic.
Origin of Slav
Slav.
or Slav
Examples from the Web for slav
Historical Examples
But also he is a Slav and likes a glass of vodka on Sundays and feast days.
BulgariaFrank Fox
To the big Slav it was all in the day's work, but to me it was hard, hard.
The Trail of '98Robert W. Service
Without a word the stalwart Slav took him on his brawny shoulder.
The Trail of '98Robert W. Service
It was to him a marvel that these people's mother-tongue was Slav.
The Birth of Yugoslavia, Volume 1Henry Baerlein
The Ausgleich was of ill-omen to the Slav subjects of Hungary.
The Birth of Yugoslavia, Volume 1Henry Baerlein
Slav
- a member of any of the peoples of E Europe or NW Asia who speak a Slavonic language
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for slav
Slav
n.
late 14c., Sclave, from Medieval Latin Sclavus (c.800), from Byzantine Greek Sklabos (c.580), from Old Church Slavonic Sloveninu "a Slav," probably related to slovo "word, speech," which suggests the name originally identified a member of a speech community (cf. Old Church Slavonic Nemici "Germans," related to nemu "dumb;" and cf. Old English þeode, which meant both "race" and "language").
Identical with the -slav in personal names (e.g. Russian Miroslav, literally "peaceful fame;" Mstislav "vengeful fame;" Jaroslav "famed for fury;" Czech Bohuslav "God's glory;" and cf. Wenceslas). Spelled Slave c.1788-1866, influenced by French and German Slave. As an adjective from 1876.