Slovenen.adj.

Etymology: In sense A. 1 < Old Russian slověne, slověni, plural noun (12th cent.; Russian slovene ), used of the Slavs as a whole (now obsolete) and also of the early East Slavic people living near Lake Ilmen (now historical), < the same Slavonic base as Slovene Slovenci (see below). In sense A. 2 < French Slovène (1826 in the source translated in quot. 1827 at sense A. 2a) < German Slowene (18th cent.) < Slovene Sloven (plural Sloveni ), a self-designation (now only regional in this sense) < Slov- ( < a Slavonic base of uncertain etymology: see below) + -en , suffix (see below). Compare German †Slowenze , noun (1833 or earlier), †slowenzisch , †slowinzisch , adjective (1833 or earlier) < Slovene Slovenec , noun (plural Slovenci ), a self-designation < Sloven (see above) + -ec , suffix forming nouns designating people. With use as adjective, compare Slovene slovenski . With use in sense A. 2b compare Slovene slovenščina , noun (a derivative of the adjective slovenski ). Compare earlier Slovenian n. With use as adjective compare earlier Slovenian adj., Slovenish adj.²Existence of a common Slavonic self-designation with the base *slověn- is suggested by Old Church Slavonic slověninŭ (plural slověne ) and cognate forms (sometimes influenced by the forms in post-classical Latin and Western European languages discussed at Slav n.) in many other Slavonic languages, all meaning ‘a Slav’, as well as by self-designations of particular Slavic peoples, namely Old Russian slověnin′′ (plural slověne ; see above) and (with a further suffix) Slovene Slovenec (plural Slovenci ), Kashubian Słowińc (plural Słowińcë ; see Slovincian n.); compare also Slovak Slovák (plural Slováci ; see Slovak n.), a parallel formation with a different suffix from the same Slavonic base. *Slověn- is perhaps a derivative of the Slavonic base meaning ‘word, speech’ (compare Old Church Slavonic slovo (see loud adj.); for a possibly equivalent and similarly disputed formation, compare Shqip n.). However, derivation from an unattested place name (compare Old Russian Slovutič′ the Dnieper) is often considered more likely, since the cognates of the Slavonic suffix *-ěn- in various Slavonic languages occur almost exclusively in place-name derivatives. See also Slav n. Compare an earlier use with reference to the Slavs as a whole, apparently showing an Old Russian word in an English context:1800 W. Tooke Hist. Russia I. 37 Other authors..think the name of Slaves to be derived from slovo, which signifies word or speech. It is true, that in the most ancient of their authors they are named Slovéné.