Sloveyn

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An archaic spelling of sloven, meaning a careless, untidy person who neglects dress, work or cleanliness
2. A dated form of sloven referring to someone who is slovenly, slack and unkempt in appearance or habits
3. Old variant of sloven, describing a person who is careless in manner and disorderly in dress or conduct

Etymology: Sloveyn is an obsolete spelling of "sloven," and its history is essentially that of sloven itself. The word appears in Middle English, and the form with the "-ey-" spelling reflects the medieval habit of writing the sound "ov" or "uv" in a variety of ways rather than any separate meaning or origin. Its underlying root is uncertain; etymologists have proposed links to Middle Dutch and to words for dragging or trailing about, but none is securely established, so it is best treated as a word of unknown ultimate origin. What the spelling does show is how English once wrote the word. Sloven, in its earlier use, described a careless or untidy person, and it was applied to slack habits of dress and work as much as to filth. The -ey- spelling is one of several variants that fell out of use as spelling standardised, leaving sloven as the form that survives.