| Official Name: | Velike Bloke |
| Pushpin Map: | Slovenia |
| Pushpin Label Position: | right |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Slovenia |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Slovenia |
| Subdivision Type1: | Traditional region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Inner Carniola |
| Subdivision Type2: | Statistical region |
| Subdivision Name2: | Littoral–Inner Carniola |
| Subdivision Type3: | Municipality |
| Subdivision Name3: | Bloke |
| Area Total Km2: | 6.37 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 230 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Ethnicities |
| Population Blank2 Title: | Religions |
| Coordinates: | 45.785°N 14.4799°W |
| Elevation M: | 729.4 |
| Footnotes: | [1] |
Velike Bloke (in Slovenian pronounced as /ˈʋéːlikɛ ˈblòːkɛ, - ˈblóː-/, German: Großoblak[2]) is a village in the Municipality of Bloke in the Inner Carniola region of Slovenia.[3]
The name Velike Bloke literally means 'big Bloke' and originally distinguished the settlement from Male Bloke (literally, 'little Bloke'). However, after the parish church was built in Male Bloke, that settlement became known as Fara (literally, 'parish').[3] The name Bloke itself was first attested in written sources in 1230 as Oblach (and as Oblukch in 1260, Oblakh in 1360, and Obloc in 1581). These early transcriptions indicate that the name was originally *Obloke, probably derived from the prepositional phrase *ob(ь) lǫky or *ob(ь) lǫkaxъ 'next to the flood-meadow(s)'. Less likely theories connect the name to the meanings 'next to rough terrain' or 'arc, arch'.[4]
The local church in the settlement is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and belongs to the Parish of Bloke.[5]
A stone bridge over Bloščica Creek northwest of the center of Velike Bloke is known as the Napoleon Bridge (Slovenian: Napoleonov most) and is registered as cultural heritage.[6] However, it was built in 1858 and has no connection to Napoleon; the reason for its name is unknown.[7]