1880-85; < GermanSlowene < SloveneSlovệnec (noun), slovệnski (adj.), ultimately derivative of Common Slavic*slověninŭSlav
British Dictionary definitions for Slovene
Slovene
/sləʊˈviːn/
adjective
1.
of, relating to, or characteristic of Slovenia, its people, or their language
noun
2.
Also Slovenian. a South Slavonic language spoken in Slovenia, closely related to Croatian
3.
a native or inhabitant of Slovenia
a speaker of Slovene
Word Origin and History for Slovene
n.
Slavic people of Carinthia and Styria, 1883, from German Slowene, from Slovenec, the people's own name, originally literally "Slav." A survival of the old native designation of the Slavic people, cf. Old Church Slavonic Slovene. Related: Slovenian.