yugoslavian
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Meaning
of or relating to yugoslavia, a former country in southeastern europe, or its people or culture.
a native or inhabitant of yugoslavia.
Structure
Usage
the yugoslavian coastline along the adriatic sea was a popular tourist destination.
he collected stamps from the yugoslavian era.
many yugoslavians emigrated to other countries during the political upheavals of the 1990s.
Etymology
The word yugoslavian is a modern demonym constructed in the early 20th century upon the formation of the kingdom of serbs, croats, and slovenes, later renamed yugoslavia. Its core, 'yugoslav', is a compound from south Slavic languages, where 'jug' means "south" and 'slav' refers to the Slavic people, thus literally denoting the "south slavs". The English suffix '-ian', of Latin origin via French, was appended to create an adjective and noun, following a common pattern for forming words denoting nationality or origin, such as 'canadian' or 'victorian'. The term encapsulates the geopolitical idea of a unified state for the southern Slavic peoples of the balkans.
Analysis
yugoslav: from the slavic elements 'jug' (south) and 'slav' (slav), meaning "south slav". origin: serbo-croatian/slovene. ian: a suffix forming adjectives meaning "belonging to" or "relating to". origin: latin '-ianus'.