Soviet

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Relating to the former Soviet Union or its people.

   Soviet leaders met to discuss the new policy.

2. 2
   noun

   A workers' or governmental council in the Soviet Union.

   Each town elected its own soviet to run local affairs.

3. 3
   noun

   A citizen of the former Soviet Union.

   Many Soviets emigrated after the country broke apart.

Borrowed from Russian сове́т (sovét, “council”), from Old Russian borrowed from Old Church Slavonic съвѣтъ (sŭvětŭ, “advice”). Compounded from съ- (sŭ-) + вѣтъ (větŭ, “agreement”), from Proto-Slavic *větъ (“council, talk”). Related words include наве́т (navét), изве́т (izvét), отве́т (otvét), приве́т (privét), обе́т (obét), ве́че (véče), отвеча́ть (otvečátʹ), отве́тить (otvétitʹ), завеща́ть (zaveščátʹ), and совещаться (soveščatʹsja). Probably cognate with Polish witać (“to welcome”).

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