Slovo

Slovo is the word for "word" in several Slavic languages, including Russian (слово), Ukrainian (слово), Polish (słowo), Czech and Slovak (slovo), and Serbo-Croatian (slovo). In these languages, slovo functions as a common noun referring to a unit of language used in speech or writing and to a spoken or written expression.

Etymology and cognates: The term is cognate across the Slavic languages and is derived from the Proto-Slavic root *slovo, with related forms found throughout Slavic speech communities. The word has productive use in many regular compounds and idioms.

Usage and meanings: In everyday use, slovo denotes a word or a segment of speech. In idiomatic expressions it can also denote a promise or pledge, for example in phrases equivalent to "to give one's word," where slovo represents a commitment rather than a linguistic unit. In academic linguistics, slovo is treated as a basic lexical unit, distinguished from its internal morphological structure.

Other uses: Slovo may also appear as a surname or toponym in Slavic-speaking areas, formed from the word’s meaning. Some publications or organizations may adopt Slovo as a title or name, reflecting its core sense of language and speech.