Slavs

Abstract

The Slavs are a group of modern nations and ethnic groups that speak Slavic languages. Linguistically, Slavic languages are part of a larger Indo‐European group and are divided into West Slavic (Polish, Czech, Slovak, Wendish, and Sorbian), East Slavic (Russian, Belarussian, and Ukrainian) and South Slavic (Croatian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Serbian, Slovene, Bosnian, and Montenegrin) languages. The term Slavs (Greek: Sklaboi , Sklabinoi , Sklabenoi ; Latin: Sclaveni , Sclavi ) first appeared in historical sources in the sixth century ce and was applied to barbarian groups raiding Southeastern Europe. In the early Middle Ages various ethnic groups in Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe were called Slavs. Today they inhabit Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, North Asia, and Central Asia.