104 SLAVIC RACE AND LANGUAGES place in Moscow on occasion of the ethno- graphic exhibition opened in May, 1867. The aggregate number of the Slavs was estimated by Schafarik about 35 years ago at about 80,- 000,000, of whom about 39,000,000 were Rus- sians, 13,000,000 Rusniaks or Ruthenians (in a wider sense, including the Little Russians), 10,000,000 Poles (including Silesians and Kas- subs), 4,500,000 Bohemians and Moravians, 3,500,000 Bulgarians, 2,800,000 Slovaks, &c. More recent estimates place the aggregate num- ber of the Slavs nearer to 90,000,000. (See EUROPE, vol. vL, p. 787.) The Old or Church Slavic (so called because it is still used in divine service) is the oldest branch of the Sla- vic languages. The Bible or parts of it were translated into it by Cyril and Methodius in the 9th century, the former of whom also in- vented an alphabet for it, which was called after him the Cyrillic, and is still used by the Serbs belonging to the Greek church, and in a modified form by the Russians, while the Poles, Bohemians, and others use the Roman alphabet. (See GLAGOLITIC.) The church books written in Old Slavic are still used by the Serbs and Russians. Among the most important documents of this language are old gospels. The oldest works of the Servian and Russian literature, as the works of Nestor, were also written in this language. There is a grammar of it by Miklosich (Vienna, 2d ed., 1854). Formerly this was regarded as the common language of the ancient Slavs and as the mother of all the present Slavic idioms, but modern investigations have clearly shown that it was only their elder sister. Where this idiom was spoken is a controversy not yet settled ; but the best authorities favor the claims of Bulgaria, regarding the present Bul- jMriun as its direct descendant. It is no longer a living tongue, but its treasures are still an inexhaustible mine for its younger sisters. Of the living Slavic languages, the Russian, Po- lish, Bohemian, and Servian have considerable literature. These languages, as well as their literatures, are treated separately under their respective heads. Among the peculiarities of the Slavic languages are the following. They have three genders. Like the Latin, they have no articles, with the exception of the Bulga- rian, which suffixes one to the noun. The nouns, pronouns, and adjectives have seven cases. Some dialects have a dual. The verbs are divided into perfect and imperfect, whose relation to each other is about the same as that of the perfect and imperfect tenses in the con- jugation of the Latin verb. All the dialects are comparatively poor in vowels and defi- cient in diphthongs. There is a great variety of consonants, and especially of sibilants, but no / proper is to be found in any genuine Slavic word. Slavic words very seldom begin with n. and hardly ever with e. The letters Z and r have in some Slavic languages the value of vowel*, and words like ttrdy, vjtr, are in metro used as words of two syllables. The SLAVONIA primitive religion of the ancient Slavs seems to have been a kind of monotheism, which gradually passed into polytheism, and lastly into pantheism. Yet the idea of one divine essence was never completely lost, at least among the priests. All Slavs worshipped as their highest god Sviatovist, beside whom the other divinities were accounted as mere demi- gods. Among these Perun and Radegast re- ceived the highest honors. In addition to their gods, they believed in good and evil spir- its and demons of different kinds, in the im- mortality of the soul, and in a retribution after death. Worship was held by their priests in forests and temples, and sacrifices of cattle and fruit were offered. The dead were burned, and their ashes preserved in urns. See Scha- farik, Slawi&che Alterthumer (2 vols., Leipsic, 1843); Talvi, "Historical View of the Lan- guages and Literature of the Slavic Nations" (New York, 1850); Miklosich, Vergleichende Grammatik der slawischen Sprachen (Vienna, 1852-'7l), and Beitrdge zur Kenntniss der sla- wischen Volkspoesie (1870); and Naake, "Sla- vonic Fairy Tales" (London, 1874). SLAVONIC or Sclavonla (Hun. Totorszdg), a province of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, forming with Croatia a kingdom united with that of Hungary, bounded N. and E. by Hun- gary proper, W. by Croatia, and S. by Turkey ; area, inclusive of the recently annexed por- tions of the former Military Frontier, about 6,600 sq. m.; pop. about 600,000, chiefly be- longing to the Greek church. It is divided into the counties of Pozsega, Verocze, and Sze- rem (Sirmia). Capital, Esze"k. The Danube and the Drave separate Slavonia from Hun- gary, and the Save from Turkey. A branch of the Carnic Alps traverses its whole length. The mountains abound in coal and marble and in mineral springs, and the forests yield valuable timber. There are many extensive plains covered with vineyards, which produce largo quantities of excellent red and white wines. Cattle are largely exported to Cis- leithan Austria and Turkey, along with many other products, among which are grain, hemp, flax, tobacco, and silk. The chief manufac- ture is glass. Among the principal towns are Peterwardein, Carlovitz, and Semlin on the Danube, and Mitrovitz (anc. Sirmium), Brod, and Old Gradiska on the Save, all formerly in- cluded in the Military Frontier. The inhab- itants belong to the Illyrico-Servian branch of the Slavs. (See SERVIAN LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE.) Tinder the Romans Slavonia formed part of the province of Pannonia, and was called Pannonia Savia. Later it belonged to the Byzantine empire, until it was occupied by the Avars and Slavs. In the time of Louis lo D6bonnaire it had its own prince, who sub- mitted to the sovereignty of the Franks. In the llth century it was incorporated with Hungary. It was conquered by the Turks in 1524, and was formally ceded to them in 1562; but in 1699, by the peace of Carlovitz, it was
