English Reference

Word

slovak

Phoneticsslo·vak

/ˈsɫoʊvæk/

Definitions

01origin/culture

B1

adj. related to the country of Slovakia, its people, or its culture.

adj. relating to Slovakia, its inhabitants, or their cultural heritage.

“We enjoyed some traditional Slovak food during our trip to Bratislava.”

“The museum features an extensive collection of Slovak folk art, showcasing the intricate embroidery styles unique to the Tatra mountain regions.”

Usage

Always capitalized as it is a proper adjective.

02the language

B1

n. the language spoken in Slovakia.

n. the West Slavic language that is the official language of Slovakia.

“Slovak is quite similar to Czech, so speakers of both can usually understand each other.”

“While he was already fluent in Polish, he found that learning Slovak required him to master several distinct phonological differences.”

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the language.

03a person

B1

n. a person from Slovakia.

n. a native or inhabitant of Slovakia, or a person of Slovak descent.

“My neighbor is a Slovak who moved here five years ago to work as an engineer.”

“The local community center organized a festival to celebrate the achievements of famous Slovaks in the fields of science and literature.”

Usage

The plural form is 'Slovaks'.

Etymology

From Slovak Slovák (“Slovak”), from a shortening of Proto-Slavic *slověninъ (“Slav”) + -ák. Related to Slovene.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
B1 · Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/slovak

English Reference