slovami

Slovami is the transliteration of the Cyrillic словáми, the instrumental plural form of слово (word) in Russian and Ukrainian. It literally means “with words” or “in words” and is used to describe how something is expressed verbally rather than through actions or other media. The form appears in common phrases that contrast spoken or written expression with other modes.

In usage, slovami appears in idiomatic constructions such as expressively conveying meaning or reporting speech. Examples include sentences like “Он сказал это словами” (He said it in words) and “не передать словами” (cannot be conveyed in words). In Ukrainian, a closely related use appears as “слова́ми,” employed similarly to indicate verbal expression or description. The phrase often appears in discussions of direct speech, paraphrase, or the limits of verbal communication.

Cross-linguistically, Slavic languages have parallel forms derived from the same root word concept. In Polish, the equivalent is słowami, meaning “with words.” In Czech, the corresponding instrumental form is slovy. These forms function similarly, signaling verbal expression or description in contrast with other modalities.

See also: Slavic linguistics, instrumental case, direct speech, idioms and phraseology, translation and paraphrase.

Note: slovami is a linguistic term used in descriptions of language and is not a standalone concept outside grammar and idiomatic usage.