sloven

Sloven is a noun in English for a person who is habitually untidy or careless in appearance or habits. The term carries a negative, pejorative connotation and is often used to contrast with orderly or conscientious behavior. The related adjective is slovenly, describing such behavior or appearance.

Etymology: The word dates from the early modern period (16th century) and is related to the adjective slovenly. Its precise linguistic origins are uncertain; some sources propose derivation from Dutch or Low German terms associated with negligence, but there is no consensus.

Usage: Today, sloven is relatively uncommon and is mainly found in older texts, literary prose, or dictionaries illustrating historical vocabulary. In contemporary usage, writers may favor slovenly or phrases like "a sloven" less; other terms like slob or careless person may be used. It should not be confused with demonyms for people from Slovenia; the standard terms are Slovene or Slovenian, and a person from Slovenia is called a Slovenian or a Slovene.

Related terms: Slovenliness is a related noun referring to the quality of being slovenly. The standard demonym for Slovenia is Slovenian or Slovene.