# سلافي



## Whodunit

How do you pronounce سلافي (Slav/Slavic) in Arabic? In my dictionary I see [sulaafii] in one part of it and [slaavii] in the other part.


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## basboosa

i really want to help u whodunit but can u be more specific is the word 
is written this way in the dictionary سلافى؟


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## Jana337

I checked as well.
Slav السلاف
Slavic سلافي
Slavonic سلافيّ
Slavs (this one is strange!) الصقلبيون

Jana


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## Whodunit

basboosa said:
			
		

> i really want to help u whodunit but can u be more specific is the word
> is written this way in the dictionary سلافى؟


 
It's written "shiin, laa (ligature), faa, yaa" with the meaning "Slav, Söavic" folowing. What shall I specify, Dina?

Jana, where's the difference between Slavic and Slavonic? And if I want to say "*a* Slav", do I really have to the article الـ, though?


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## basboosa

look danial
سلافى = a slav
السلافى=the slav
and there is no diffrence in arabic between slav and slavonic but as 
slav are pleural سلافand the other is slavic is single سلافى or سلافي
i wish this would help


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## Whodunit

Yes, it does help, but how do you pronounce each word then?


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## Jana337

basboosa said:
			
		

> look danial
> سلافى = a slav
> السلافى=the slav
> and there is no diffrence in arabic between slav and slavonic but as
> slav are pleural سلافand the other is slavic is single سلافى or سلافي
> i wish this would help



Well, but the transliteration? Is it sulaafi or slaafi or anything else?

Jana


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## basboosa

the pronounciation is for the single is slaffie
for the pleural slaaf
that is all


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## Jana337

Whodunit said:
			
		

> Jana, where's the difference between Slavic and Slavonic? And if I want to say "*a* Slav", do I really have to the article الـ, though?


The first question will be replied elsewhere.
The second: Definitely not. I just copied it from the dictionary which incidentally prefers listing words with articles.

Jana


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## Whodunit

basboosa said:
			
		

> the pronounciation is for the single is slaffie
> for the pleural slaaf
> that is all


 
Ah well, so "sulaafii" is definitely wrong?


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## basboosa

u can say so


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## Whodunit

basboosa said:
			
		

> u can say so


 
Really? So both "sulaafii" and "slaavii" are correct?


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## basboosa

yes u can say both 

both are correct but in diffrent accents


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## elroy

"sulaafi" is a more "Arabized" version.

You can say "slaafi" or even "slaavi" with no problems.


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## Whodunit

You mean "sulaafii" is pronounced with an original Arabic "f" and "slaafii" as well? However, is "slaavii" understood everywhere?


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## basboosa

yes it will be understood


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## elroy

basboosa said:
			
		

> yes it will be understood


 
Agreed.

It might even be more understandable than the version with an "f."


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## thelastchoice

Actully, old Arabs writers called Russians " الصقالبة" which means the Slavs. The singular is "صقلبي" Saq'la'bi ( the ' indicates very short stop ) a slav.
Nowadays, we use "السلاف" silaf or slaf both are accepted and mean the Slavs.
"سلافي" silafi or slafi means a Slav.
" الشعوب السلافية" Ash SHu' oob Assilafi'yah which means the slav nations.
But pronouncing it Sulafi is extremely not correct , because " سُلاف" or " السُلاف" is a poetic name for wine.
Also, it is a popular name for girls and by the way it sounds very Romantic. It is a name of a popular Syrian actress.


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## elroy

Really?  Which one?


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## Whodunit

Wow! I'm impressed. This is very useful, thank you very much. BTW, welcome to the forum, Thelastchoice! 

*!اهلا بك هنا*


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## bamia

thelastchoice said:


> Actully, old Arabs writers called Russians " الصقالبة" which means the Slavs. The singular is "صقلبي" Saq'la'bi ( the ' indicates very short stop ) a slav.
> Nowadays, we use "السلاف" silaf or slaf both are accepted and mean the Slavs.
> "سلافي" silafi or slafi means a Slav.
> " الشعوب السلافية" Ash SHu' oob Assilafi'yah which means the slav nations.
> But pronouncing it Sulafi is extremely not correct , because " سُلاف" or " السُلاف" is a poetic name for wine.
> Also, it is a popular name for girls and by the way it sounds very Romantic. It is a name of a popular Syrian actress.



I think الصقالبة was used as a moniker for the Slavic peoples Arab travelers encountered during their peregrinations. Russia as we know it today didn't exist back then, but الصقالبة did refer to the Russian people's progenitors, the Slavic inhabitants of the Kievan Rus'. It also referred to southern (balkanic) Slavs though, who would never be Russian and instead became part of other, smaller Slavic political entities.



elroy said:


> Really?  Which one?



Soulafa Memar I think


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