Czechs

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A native or inhabitant of the Czech Republic, especially one who speaks Czech as their first language
2. An individual who belongs to the Slavic ethnic group originating from the land now known as the Czech Republic
3. A person associated with the culture, traditions, or historical heritage of the Czech people

Etymology: "Czechs" is simply the plural of "Czech," so its story is really the story of the singular. The name traces back to a legendary founder: in the old Slavic tradition, Čech was the leader who led the Slavs into the lands they would settle, and his name gave the people their identity. Linguists, however, point to a more down-to-earth origin. The name is a variation and contraction of the Proto-Slavic word "člověkъ," meaning "human" or "person," which is also the root of the modern Slavic words for "man" and "person" in several languages. The English form reached us indirectly. It was borrowed from Polish "Czech," which came from Old Polish and Old Czech "Čech." English speakers took the word unchanged from Polish, which is why it keeps the spelling with "cz," a combination that is unusual in English and reveals its Slavic route.

Synonyms: Bohemians, Czech people