Pronunciation: [d͡ʒˈuːɡəslˌav] (IPA) 
The spelling of the word "Jugoslav" has evolved over time. In the original Serbo-Croatian language, the word is spelled as "Jugoslavija." However, when transliterated into English, the spelling was changed to "Yugoslavia." The letter "j" in the first spelling is pronounced like the "y" in "yes," while the letter "g" is pronounced as a hard "g." In phonetic transcription, the word would be spelled as /juːɡoʊslæv/.
Jugoslav, also spelled as Yugoslav, refers to an individual belonging to the former country and multi-ethnic federation known as Yugoslavia. The term most commonly applies to citizens of this country, residents, or people of Yugoslav descent.
Yugoslavia was a nation situated in Southeastern Europe, formed in 1918 and lasting until its dissolution in 1992. With a diverse population composed of various ethnic groups, including Serbs, Croats, Slovenes, Bosnians, Macedonians, and Montenegrins, the term "Jugoslav" encompassed people from all these ethnic backgrounds. It functioned as both a national and ethnic identifier.
The word "Jugoslav" has its etymological roots in the Serbo-Croatian language, where "jug" means "south" and "slav" signifies "Slavic," which refers to the Slavic-speaking population that inhabited the region. Thus, the term represents the collective identity and unity of people from different regions in the southern part of Slavic-speaking territories.
During the existence of Yugoslavia, "Jugoslav" was frequently used on official documents, including passports, as a nationality designation. Moreover, it served as an adjective to describe anything related to Yugoslavia, such as Jugoslavija (Yugoslavia) itself or its political, cultural, social, or historical aspects.
However, following the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the emergence of independent countries such as Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Montenegro, the use of the term "Jugoslav" has significantly diminished, primarily due to the shift towards national identities and the dissolution of the unified Yugoslav state.
The word "Jugoslav" (also spelled "Yugoslav") evolved from the countries formed after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the early 20th century. It originated as a combination of the words "jug" (meaning "south" in various Slavic languages) and "slav" (referring to the Slavic people). "Jugoslav" thus means "South Slav" or "Southern Slav". was used to encompass the various Slavic ethnic groups residing in the southern regions of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, such as Slovenes, Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks, and Macedonians. These groups came together to form the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes in 1918, and the name "Jugoslav" reflected their shared Slavic heritage in the southern region of Europe.
