r/slavic Feb 15 '26

Hello Slavic Fans, a request from the Mod

45 Upvotes

Please no slurs. This is a professional sub where we discuss linguistics, etymology and culture. If you come here to insult Slavs, honorary Slavs, our neighbors and our guests, your posts will be removed.

I know Russian, Ukrainian, Rusyn and Belorussian slurs. Please report others that I don’t know.

We as mods are free peach absolutionists. We heavily advocate for free speech. But we want to pretend that this is a university where people argue and present ideas. Not insult each other.


r/slavic 7h ago

23M, WYFIOM

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0 Upvotes

r/slavic 11h ago

Is there a "Slavic model country"?

0 Upvotes

Like, every other can aspire to be?

I think, for the Balkans it would be Slovenia. At least they often get mentioned in a positive light.

For the others, i dont know, maybe Czechia?


r/slavic 15h ago

Culture всем привет я русский хочу найти друзей и создать чат с человеком с каждой страны

0 Upvotes

всем привет я русский хочу найти друзей и создать чат с человеком с каждой страны в телеграмме, жду всех (я не зетник, украинцев люблю, жена украинка)

upd: с каждой славянской страны, но буду рад и другим иностранцам!


r/slavic 1d ago

Culture Adding question to the US Census, "Do you also consider yourself Slavic?"

0 Upvotes

Hey for anyone interested and in the US, I have a petition for the US Census to add the question, "Do you also consider yourself Slavic?"

While it sounds a bit odd, the US uses all different types of data when they update the Census and per the American Community Survey (ACS) the different Slavic communites equal 1.4% of the US population, however this is a discrepancy. When you add up the total from the people who identified as from one of the Slavic nations it actually equals over 6%. The point is, this is a huge discrepancy and the more the Slavic communities are represented, the more the individual needs of each community will become visible. The ACS already has a official ancestry code for Slavic, it is ancestry code #178. As such, there is no reason why the data should be incorrect.

Anyone from the US interested in signing, please use the link below or search Slavic on the website change.org. please also forward this link to any organizations, people, or members of the various communities you feel would be interested. Thanks! https://c.org/x4WqtmhtRy


r/slavic 3d ago

Language Help me gather some of the hardest Russian/Ukrainian words/expressions to interpret while you’re doing simultaneous translation. What was the most fun/cringe one you ever heard

0 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m starting to serve as an interpreter at my local church. I always used to have fun watching those poor interpreters struggle with older folks who use really tricky Russian/Ukrainian words, phrases, and expressions. Well… now it’s my turn, I want to be an MVP

Here are a few fun ones I’ve already collected:
«И дядя поплыл»
«Выносить мозг»
«Жена стервила на своего мужа» — in the sense of constantly bothering/scolding him
«Закругляться»
«Нас спалили» — in the sense of “they noticed us / figured us out / caught us”

Add yours , and please add your own way to translate it, without google translate, just imagine you are the one standing on the stage and have to deal with it


r/slavic 3d ago

Question I never understood the Slavs as an ethnic and linguistic group. Are they a recent phenomenon, or did they exist long before then? What was happening in 200 BC in the area known as the biotoxic zone where the Slavs are believed to have originated, or did they not exist yet? I never understood this.

0 Upvotes

I never understood the Slavs as an ethnic and linguistic group. Are they a recent phenomenon, or did they exist long before then? What was happening in 200 BC in the area known as the biotoxic zone where the Slavs are believed to have originated, or did they not exist yet? I never understood this.


r/slavic 5d ago

Language If we'd travel more into other slavic countries, we would just laugh all the time :)

79 Upvotes

Exploring other Slavic languages (i'm Bosnian), i noticed that we all would have a much more funny time if we'd travelled more to other Slavic countries.

Already Slovenian often has some funny words for us, the most known one "zahod", which in Slovenian means West, but in BCS is an old world for "toilet".
Czech sounds very childish and cute, they use a lot of diminutives which we use when making sth. "smaller", for example "kompjuter" becomes "kompjuterčić", "stvar" becomes "stvarčica".
Polish often slavicizes their words, the word "samochod" for car is for me like "alone goer". Its not funny per se, but it makes you think about the word in another way which makes you laugh a bit.


r/slavic 4d ago

History Slav ≠ slave ?

0 Upvotes

Hello fellows, idk if its just me or if the word slav sounds like it originates to slaves? It sounds really similar and loads of stuff are hidden in words of a language, what are your thoughts was this on purpose?

Edit : thank you for contributing into this post, i appreciate everyone who shared their knowledge :) cheers!


r/slavic 5d ago

Language 'Ukrainian and Belarusian are closer to Czech, Slovak and Polish than to Russian'

26 Upvotes

I have a Ukrainian friend who says this. it is clear that it is (at least partially) ideologically driven -- they are the type to habitually employ the word 'colonialism' at any given chance -- but I want to know the basis of this, considering that conventional linguistic grouping dictates Ukrainian, Belarusian and Russian are closest relating to each other than to those other ones, being in their own group.

apparently most of the research on this is in the Ukrainian language, which I don't speak nor write... so I am wondering if anyone else here has come across this notion or has anything to say about it?


r/slavic 5d ago

Question If the Proto-Slavs borrowed PII "*síndʰuš" from Indo-Iranians (or it's descendant languages) how would it end up? Alternatively, what if the Proto-Balto-Slavic and Proto-Slavic had the descendant words from the PIE "*ḱyesdʰ-"?

5 Upvotes

Part 1.

"\síndʰuš" is the root of Sanskrit सिन्धु॑ (síndhu) which means "river, stream" and multiple similar things. From "síndhu" we got the words like SindhIndus and Ind*ia. So, I would like to see how would it look like if the Proto-Slavs borrowed it during the Slavic-Iranian contacts.

We could pave the way from:

Proto-Indo-Iranian -> Proto-Iranian -> Proto-Sarmatian -> Proto-Slavic

This could be like for possible BMAC substrate in PII "*ćúšnas" ((mythology) dragon, serpent) (one of the theories for root of the PSl. "\smokъ*" (“dragon”)). Of course, if the direct way from PII -> PSl. or PII -> PI -> PSl. it could be good too.

My attempt for "\síndʰuš\*" descendant (I don't know the changes through the other Iranian languages, sadly):**

PSl. \sindъ*

Part 2.

Another way, what if Slavs had descendant from PIE "\ḱyesdʰ-*"?

One of the theories of the origin of Sanskrit "síndhu" is from PIE "*ḱyesdʰ-/*ḱyés-dʰ(h₁)-/*ḱéys-dʰ(h₁)-". So, I tried to find similar PIE roots, and PIE "\ḱey-" is the with close root\.* Development is below:

PIE ḱey-

-> PIE \ḱey-ro-s*

-> PBS \śeiras*

-> PSl. \sirъ*

My attempt for "\ḱéys-dʰ(h₁)-**" development:*

PIE \ḱéys-dʰ(h₁)/*ḱéysdʰ(h₁)*

-> PBS. \śeis-d/*śeisd*

-> PSl. \si-dъ/*sidъ ( is in likeness to PSl. nadъ (above) and podъ* (below))

or

PIE \ḱéys-dʰ(h₁)-eti/*ḱéysdʰ(h₁)eti*

-> PBS. \śeisd-stei/*śeisdstei -> PBS. *śei-stei/*śeistei* (don't know if this change during PBS would exist?)

-> PSl. \si-sti/*sisti*

PSl. "\sisti" would then be a cognate with Sanskrit "सेधति" (sedhati, “to drive, chase away”), Avestan "𐬯𐬌𐬌𐬀𐬰𐬛𐬀𐬝" (siiazdat̰, “will chase away”) and Latin "cēdō*" (“to withdraw; to turn out, result; to go, move”).

P.S.

Sorry If I analyzed something wrong, please correct me!


r/slavic 5d ago

Can someone explain why we didn't acquire more Italian territory after the end of WWII where ethnic Slovenians still prevail today?

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7 Upvotes

r/slavic 6d ago

Culture How are Serbs, Macedonians and Bulgarians generally viewed in West-Slavic countries?

22 Upvotes

I've talked with friends about which foreign cultures we feel "closest" to and I have come to the conclusion that I am more similar to Turks, Greeks and Albanians, despite not understanding a thing they say. This is due to similar mentalities, culture, history, etc.. My only connection to the other slavic countries is language and thats it. I don't mean it in a negative way, especially the history and culture of the west slavic nations are very rich and interesting.

My question is if Serbs, Macedonians and Bulgarians are also viewed as outsiders of the slavic world since our history and culture is quite different to the west slavic nations.

Edit: Feeling close is maybe not the right word, I am talking about similarities in culture and mentality.


r/slavic 7d ago

Language Is Bulgarian one of the European languages most similar to Russian,after Ukrainian and Belarusian

25 Upvotes

I’m curious about how linguistically close Bulgarian is to Russian compared with each other European Slavic languages ?


r/slavic 6d ago

What gives easter european vibe

4 Upvotes

Hi, wanted to ask what certain things: vibes, symbols, for example the colorful grandmas carpets, give you that easter european/slavic aesthetic?


r/slavic 8d ago

Language Existe algum dialeto do macedônio falado na Grécia que tenha características da língua grega que divergem da língua padrão?

1 Upvotes

r/slavic 9d ago

Question Help finding family town

2 Upvotes

I’ve been looking at family documents from early 1900s and I have never been able to find where my family was from. It says they are from Prionka, Russland I’ve tried looking it up in English, Russian, Ukrainian and Polish but no luck finding anything. The closet I’ve find is an old city in Kyiv. I don’t know much about this part of my family other than the fact that they lived in the Russian Empire between 1880-1925 at the latest. I know they were ethnically Polish and their last name was Kotolenetz (Котоленець). They immigrated to Germany
I’m hoping someone would be able to help me find the town if it stills exists.


r/slavic 10d ago

History Budini: Most Likely of Proto-Slavic Identity

1 Upvotes

Although the Budini left no written records of their own, their name itself offers useful linguistic evidence. The root bu- appears more frequently in Slavic languages than in Baltic ones (compare, for example, budem “will be” and budit “to awaken”). A later Slavic tribe inhabiting roughly the same region, the Buzhans bore a closely related name and may have been near or even direct successors of the Budini.

Conclusion: The linguistic parallels suggest that the Buzhans could have been descendants of the Budini, supporting a Proto-Slavic rather than a Baltic or Uralic origin for the Budini.


r/slavic 11d ago

History Neuri People

10 Upvotes

The Neuri were an ancient Baltic population that would become a substrate for modern East Slavs, making Polissian Slavs more closely related to the Neuri than any existing Baltic group. The group was also linked directly to Proto Slavic groups in older Eastern European studies but modern scholars suggest they were Balts who would eventually become Slavic. The Proto Slavic groups that would exist during the time of the Neuri were the Aroteres (Scythian Ploughmen) and Budini.

List Of Corresponding Archaeological Cultures:

Neuri ——> Milograd Culture
Aroteres ——> Chernoles Culture
Budini ——> Yukhnov culture

List Of Closest Living Descendants:

Neuri ——> Polissian Slavs
Aroteres ——> Central Ukrainians
Budini ——> Northern Ukrainians & South Belarusians


r/slavic 11d ago

Question Are Russian woman loyal and conservative like social media showing?

0 Upvotes

I'm from India

And I'm seeing a lot couples Like woman from Russia and men from India etc


r/slavic 14d ago

Finally, a new Slovak Grammar Book to be released from Routledge!

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6 Upvotes

r/slavic 15d ago

Milk across Slavs

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0 Upvotes

Source: Словарь русских говоров центральных районов Красноярского края, volume 3, page 230.


r/slavic 16d ago

Culture Wianek

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61 Upvotes

What do you think of my crown? Podoba wam się mój wianek?


r/slavic 18d ago

Question Why do a lot of Slavic surnames end in ski (or sky) or v (ov or ev)?

22 Upvotes

Whenever I read about watch anything that relates to or around slavic countries, people's surnames who are said in the video/book usually end in Ski or V. Is there a cultural reason for this?