The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Slovenes

SLOVENES, slō-vĕnes', a Slavonic people often confused with the Slovacs. Most of them are to be found in the Austrian provinces of Carinthia and Styria, although there are a few in Italy and Southwestern Hungary. They came from farther east about the 7th century, and were chiefly Christianized. They possessed a Bible and grammar in their own language, but during religious differences in the 16th century these were mostly destroyed. They are now mainly Runich in their faith. Their language is split into eight dialects. They have a lyceum at Laibach containing a choice collection of Slovene books. They number about 1,300,000. Consult Strekelj, &lsquo;Slovenske Narodne Pesmi&rsquo; (Laibach 1895).