Balkans

English
Balkan peninsula (as defined by the Danube-Sava-Kupa line)

Alternative forms

Etymology

Of Turkic origin; compare Turkish balkan (“wooded mountain range”).[1] Probably unrelated to balk (“ridge of land”).

Pronunciation
  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈbɔːl.kənz/, /ˈbɒl.kənz/
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈbɔl.kənz/, /ˈbɑl.kənz/

Proper noun

Balkans

  1. A geographical region in southeastern Europe, roughly equivalent to the area covered by Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, sometimes including Romania, Slovenia, and European Turkey. [19th c.]
    • 2002, Dennis P. Hupchick, The Balkans: From Constantinople to Communism, page 104:
      As the Ottomans' victories in the Balkans multiplied, increasing numbers of Anatolian warriors flocked to their ranks, and their territorial conquests grew.
    • 2015, Anastas Vangeli, “On the Growing Cooperation Between China and the Western Balkans”, in Nikolaos Papakostas, Nikolaos Pasamitros, editors, An Agenda for the Western Balkans: From Elite Politics to Social Sustainability, Stuttgart, page 182:
      The Balkans is still comparatively less attractive than other post-communist countries in Europe [...]

Usage notes
  • Used with the definite article the and construed as a plural.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

References
  1. Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “Balkans”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

German

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈbalkaːns/
  • Audio(file)
  • Hyphenation: Bal‧kans

Proper noun

Balkans

  1. genitive singular of Balkan

Swedish

Proper noun

Balkans

  1. genitive of Balkan

Anagrams
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