Русь

See also: русь

Belarusian

Alternative forms

• Ruś — Łacinka (Belarusian Latin alphabet)

Etymology

Inherited from Old Ruthenian Русь (Rusʹ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [rusʲ]

Proper noun

Русь • (Rusʹ) f inan (genitive Русі́, uncountable, relational adjective ру́скі)

1. (historical) Rus (a people made up of Scandinavian warrior merchants who travelled Eastern European river-roads from the eighth century)
   • 1926, Vacłaŭ Łastoŭski, Гісторыя беларускай (крыўскай) кнігі, Kaunas: Друкарня Сакалоўскага і Лана, page 6:

     Да апошняга тыпу належалі скандынаўскія дружыны, якія звалі сябе Русьсю.

     Da apóšnjaha typu nalježali skandynawskija družyny, jakija zvali sjabje Rusʹsju.

     The Scandinavian warbands, who called themselves Rus, belonged to the latter type.

2. (historical) Rus (any of the medieval East Slavic principalities established by Scandinavian warrior merchants)

   Кі́еўская Русь ― Kíjewskaja Rusʹ ― Kievan Rus

   • 1919, Усевалад Макаравіч Ігнатоўскі, Кароткі нарыс гісторыі Беларусі, Minsk: Друкарня Я. Грынблята, page 36:

     Як мы адзначылі раней, Полацкая Русь за ўвесь час свайго істнаваньня вяла амаль што не бесперарыўнае змаганьне з Русьсю Кіеўскай.

     Jak my adznačyli ranjej, Pólackaja Rusʹ za wvjesʹ čas svajhó istnavanʹnja vjala amalʹ što nje bjespjerarywnaje zmahanʹnje z Rusʹsju Kijewskaj.

     As we noted earlier, Polotskian Rus was almost constantly engaged in a struggle against Kievan Rus throughout its existence.

3. (historical) Kievan Rus (a medieval principality in Eastern Europe centred around Kyiv; at its maximum extent covering much of modern Ukraine, Belarus and western Russia and considered an early predecessor of each country)
   • 1936, Сяргей Канстанцінавіч Паўловіч, Першая навука Закону Божага з беларуска-славянскім букваром, Warsaw: Друкарня Сынадальная, page 149:

     З Кіева Уладзімір пасылаў сьвяшчэньнікаў да іншых местаў і сёлаў, каб хрысьцілі народ. З помаччу Божай вера Хрыстова распаўсюджылася на ўсёй Русі.

     Z Kijeva Uladzimir pasylaw sʹvjaščenʹnikaw da inšyx mjestaw i sjólaw, kab xrysʹcili naród. Z pómačču Bóžaj vjera Xrystóva raspawsjudžylasja na wsjoj Rusi.

     From Kyiv, Vladimir sent priests to other cities and villages to baptize the people. With God's help, the faith of Christ spread throughout all of Rus.

Declension

Declension of Русь (inan sg-only soft 3rd-decl fem-form accent-d)

	singular
nominative	Русь Rusʹ
genitive	Русі́ Rusí
dative	Русі́ Rusí
accusative	Русь Rusʹ
instrumental	Ру́ссю, Ру́сьсю1 Rússju, Rúsʹsju1
locative	Русі́ Rusí

¹Taraškievica spelling.

Synonyms

• Ру́ская зямля́ (Rúskaja zjamljá)

Derived terms

• Бе́лая Русь (Bjélaja Rusʹ, “White Ruthenia, White Russia, Belarus”)
• Чырво́ная Русь (Čyrvónaja Rusʹ, “Red Ruthenia”) (Eastern Galicia)
• Чо́рная Русь (Čórnaja Rusʹ, “Black Ruthenia”)
• Кі́еўская Русь (Kíjewskaja Rusʹ, “Kievan Rus”)

References

• Bulyka, A. M., editor (2010), “Русь”, in Гістарычны слоўнік беларускай мовы [Historical Dictionary of the Belarusian Language] (in Belarusian), numbers 30 (ралецъ – рушать), Minsk: Belaruskaia navuka, →ISBN, page 485
• “Русь” in Belarusian–Russian dictionaries and Belarusian dictionaries at slounik.org
• "Русь" in Belarusian-Russian dictionaries and Belarusian dictionaries at Verbum

Old East Slavic

Etymology

Etymology tree

North Germanicbor.

Proto-Finnic *rooccibor.

Old East Slavic Русь

Borrowed from Proto-Finnic *roocci (“Swedes”), probably from Old Swedish Roþrin, the name of a region of Sweden lying opposite Finland (see Roden). Cognate with Finnish Ruotsi, Estonian Rootsi.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrusɪ/→/ˈrusʲɪ/→/ˈrusʲ/

• (ca. 9^th CE) IPA^(key): /ˈrusɪ/
• (ca. 11^th CE) IPA^(key): /ˈrusʲɪ/
• (ca. 13^th CE) IPA^(key): /ˈrusʲ/

Proper noun

Русь (Rusĭ) f (genitive Руси)

1. (collectively) Name of a group of Varangians, the ruling class in the principalities of Rus. [9th c.]
   • Hypatian Codex

     Афетово же колѣно и то Варѧзи . Свеи . Оурманє . Готѣ . Русь . Аглѧнѣ . Галичанѣ . Волохове . Римлѧнѣ . Нѣмци . Корлѧзи . Венедици . Фрѧговѣ . и прочии присѣдѧть ѿ запада къ полуденью. и съсѣдѧтсѧ съ племенем̑ Хамовомъ.

     Afetovo že kolěno i to Varęzi . Svei . Urmane . Gotě . Rusĭ . Aglęně . Galičaně . Voloxove . Rimlęně . Němci . Korlęzi . Venedici . Fręgově . i pročii prisědętĭ ōtŭ zapada kŭ poludenĭju. i sŭsědętsę sŭ plemenem̂ Xamovomŭ.

     The offspring of Japheth were the Varangians, Swedes, Norsemen, Goths, Rusĭ, Angles, Galicians, Vlachs, Romans, Germans, Korlyazi ["Carolingians", i.e. Franks], Venetians, Fryazi [Italians, Genovese] and others. In the west they are ajacent to the southern countries, and neighbours with the Hamites.

   • Hypatian Codex s.a. 6370 (862)

     идоша за море к Варѧгом̑ . к Руси . сіце бо звахуть . ты Варѧ̑гы Русь . ꙗко се друзии зовутсѧ Свеє . друзии же Оурмани . Аньглѧне . инѣи и Готе . тако и си ркоша.

     idoša za more k Varęgom̂ . k Rusi . sice bo zvaxutĭ . ty Varę̂gy Rusĭ . jako se druzii zovutsę Sveje . druzii že Urmani . Anĭglęne . iněi i Gote . tako i si rkoša.

     And they went overseas to the Varangians, to the Rusĭ. These particular Varangians were known as Rusĭ, just as some are called Swedes, and others Normans and Angles, and still others Gotlanders, for they were thus named.

2. (collectively) Inhabitants of Rus; East Slavic people. [10–12th cc.]

   Synonym: Русьскаꙗ землꙗ (Rusĭskaja zemlja)

Usage notes

Русь (Rusĭ) is the collective plural for the Varangian elite ruling Rus, the Old East Slavic state. A single individual is called a русинъ (rusinŭ), whence modern Russian руси́н (rusín, “Ruthenian”). While the Rus-Byzantine treaty of AD 911 is unclear on whether "Rus" refers just to the ruling elite or to the entire population, the treaty of 944 is explicit on the point that the "Rus" are "all people of the Rus land" (русьскаꙗ землꙗ (rusĭskaja zemlja)).

Derived terms

• русьскъ (rusĭskŭ)

Descendants

• Old Ruthenian: Русь f sg (Rusʹ)
  • Belarusian: Русь (Rusʹ)
  • Carpathian Rusyn: Русь (Rusʹ)
  • Ukrainian: Русь (Rusʹ)
• Middle Russian: Русь f sg (Rusʹ)
  • Russian: Русь f sg (Rusʹ)
    • → English: Rus
• → Arabic: رُوس (rūs)
• → Bulgar:
  • Chuvash: вырӑс (vyrăs)
• → Medieval Greek: Ῥῶς m (Rhôs)
  • ⇒ Medieval Greek: Ῥωσία f (Rhōsía), Ῥωσσία (Rhōssía)
    • Greek: Ρωσία (Rosía)
    • → Church Slavonic: Роусиꙗ (Rusija)
      • Bulgarian: Руси́я (Rusíja)
    • → Medieval Latin: Rōssia
    • → Russian: Росси́я (Rossíja) (see there for further descendants)
    • → Old Ruthenian: Росїꙗ (Rosija), Россїꙗ (Rossija)
      • Belarusian: Расі́я (Rasíja); Расе́я (Rasjéja)
      • Carpathian Rusyn: Ро́сія (Rósija), Русія (Rusija)
        • → Pannonian Rusyn: Русия (Rusija)
      • Ukrainian: Росі́я (Rosíja)
      • → Polish: Rosja
• → Kipchak: (/⁠orus⁠/)
  • Armeno-Kipchak: Որուս sg (Orus, “Ruthenia”); որուս sg (orus, “a Ruthene; [attributively] Ruthenian”), ուրուս sg (urus)
  • Kazakh:

    Arabic script: ورىس sg (orıs), ورىستار pl (orıstar)

    Cyrillic script: орыс sg (orıs), орыстар pl (orıstar)

  • Kyrgyz:

    Cyrillic script: орус sg (orus), орустар pl (orustar)

  • → Hungarian: orosz sg, oroszok pl
  • → Middle Mongol: 斡羅思 sg (/⁠orus⁠/), 斡魯速惕 pl (/⁠orusud⁠/)
    • Classical Mongolian: ᠣᠷᠤᠰ᠋ sg (orus, “Russia; a Russian, [attributively] Russian”)
      • Mongolian:

        Cyrillic script: Орос sg (Oros, “Russia”); орос (oros, “a Russian, [attributively] Russian”), оросууд pl (orosuud, “Russians”)

        Mongolian script: ᠣᠷᠤᠰ (orus, “Russia; a Russian, [attributively] Russian”), ᠣᠷᠤᠰᠤᠳ pl (orusud, “Russians”)

      • → Buryat: ород sg (orod, “a Russian; [attributively] Russian”), ородууд pl (oroduud, “Russians”); Орос sg (Oros, “Russia”)
      • → Khamnigan Mongol: орос sg (“a Russian; [attributively] Russian”), оросууд pl (“Russians”)
      • → Dzongkha: ཨུ་རུ་སུ (u ru su)
      • → Manchu: ᠣᡵᠣᠰ sg (oros)
        • → Chinese: 俄羅斯 / 俄罗斯 (Éluósī) (transliteration, via Mandarin)
          • → Japanese: 俄羅斯(オロス) (Orosu), 俄羅斯(オロシャ) (Orosha) (dated, rare)
          • → Korean: 아라사(俄羅斯) (Arasa) (obsolete)
          • → Vietnamese: Nga La Tư (俄羅斯) (obsolete)
          • → Zhuang: Ngozlozswh
      • → Tibetan: ཨུ་རུ་སུ (u ru su)
• ⇒ Medieval Latin: Russī m pl
  • → Albanian: Rusi
    • → Aromanian: Rusii
  • ⇒ Medieval Latin: Russia f sg
    • → Asturian: Rusia f sg
    • → English: Russia sg
      • → Hindi: रशिया f sg (raśiyā)
      • → Malay: Rusia sg
      • → Māori: Rūhia sg
      • → Russian: Ра́ша f sg (Ráša)
      • → Thai: รัสเซีย sg (rát-siia)
      • → Ukrainian: Ра́ша f sg (Ráša)
    • → French: Russie f sg
    • → Galician: Rusia f sg
    • → Indonesian: Rusia sg
    • → Italian: Russia f sg
    • → Norman: Russie f sg
    • → Romanian: Rusia f sg
    • → Spanish: Rusia f sg
    • → Venetan: Rusia f sg
    • ⇒ Medieval Latin: Russiānus
      • → English: Russian
• → Middle High German: Rûz, Riuz, Riuze
  • German: Russe m sg, Russen m pl; Russin f sg, Russinnen f pl
    • ⇒ English: Russ sg or pl, Russes pl
  • Yiddish: רוס m sg (rus), רוסן m pl (rusn)
• → Polish: Ruś

Old Ruthenian

Etymology

Etymology tree

North Germanicbor.

Proto-Finnic *rooccibor.

Old East Slavic Роусь (Rusĭ)

Old Ruthenian Русь

Inherited from Old East Slavic Роусь (Rusĭ).

Proper noun

Русь • (Rusʹ) f inan

1. (collectively) Inhabitants of Rus; East Slavic people
2. Rus

Descendants

• Belarusian: Русь (Rusʹ)
• Carpathian Rusyn: Русь (Rusʹ)
• Ukrainian: Русь (Rusʹ)

Further reading

• Hrynchyshyn, D. H., editor (1978), “*Русь¹; Русь²”, in Словник староукраїнської мови XIV–XV ст. [Dictionary of the Old Ukrainian Language of the 14ᵗʰ–15ᵗʰ cc.] (in Ukrainian), volume 2 (Н – Ѳ), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, page 309
• Bulyka, A. M., editor (2010), “Русь”, in Гістарычны слоўнік беларускай мовы [Historical Dictionary of the Belarusian Language] (in Belarusian), numbers 30 (ралецъ – рушать), Minsk: Belaruskaia navuka, →ISBN, page 485
• Stryzhak, O. S., editor (1985), “Рꙋсь”, in Етимологічний словник літописних географічних назв Південної Русі [Etymological Dictionary of Chronicle Geographical Names of Southern Rus'] (in Ukrainian), Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, page 117

Russian

Etymology

Inherited from Old East Slavic Русь (Rusĭ).

Map of the Kievan Rus' at its height, 1054

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [rusʲ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Русь • (Rusʹ) f inan (genitive Руси́, nominative plural Ру́си, genitive plural Русе́й, relational adjective ру́сский)

1. (literal) Rus

   на Руси́ ― na Rusí ― in Rus (preposition "на", not "в" is used)

   Ки́евская Русь ― Kíjevskaja Rusʹ ― Kievan Rus

2. (strictly) (historical) Kievan Rus (a medieval principality in Eastern Europe centred around Kyiv; at its maximum extent covering much of modern Ukraine, Belarus and western Russia and considered an early predecessor of each country)
3. (Eastern Orthodoxy) The Eastern Orthodox way of life in East Slavic lands.

   Святая Русь ― Svjataja Rusʹ ― Holy Rus'

4. (poetic) East Slavic lands

   Coordinate term: (Russia proper) Росси́я (Rossíja)

   Кому на Руси жить хорошо

   Komu na Rusi žitʹ xorošo

   Who can live well in the Russian Empire?

   Есть обычай на Руси — ночью слушать «Би-Би-Си»

   Jestʹ obyčaj na Rusi — nočʹju slušatʹ «Bi-Bi-Si»

   There is a custom in Rus' – a nightly listen to the BBC

   • 1836 September 27, Nikolai Gogol, Letter to Nikolai Prokopovich‎^[2], Geneva, Switzerland:

     Европа поразит с первого разу, когда въедешь в ворота, в первый город. Живописные домики, которые то под ногами, то над головою, синие горы, развесистые липы, плющ, устилающие вместе с виноградом стены и ограды, всё это хорошо, и нравится, и ново, потому что всё пространство Руси нашей не имеет этого, но после, как увидишь далее то же да то же, привыкнешь и позабудешь, что это хорошо.

     Europe will amaze you from the first time you enter the gates, the first city. Picturesque houses that are either under your feet or above your head, blue mountains, spreading linden trees, ivy, covering walls and fences along with grapes, all this is great, and you like it, and it’s new, because the entire expanse of our Rus does not have this, but after you see the same and the same, you will get used to it, and forget that it is great.

Usage notes

• Preposition на (na) should be used to express the location, e.g. "на Руси́" - in Rus, in Russia.
• "Русь" is not synonymous with the Latinate English exonym "Ruthenia", a narrower term referring to the westernmost East Slavic lands that were specifically administered by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Austrian Empire.

Declension

Declension of Русь (inan fem-form 3rd-decl accent-f″) 

	singular	plural
nominative	Ру́сь Rúsʹ	Ру́си Rúsi
genitive	Руси́ Rusí	Русе́й Ruséj
dative	Руси́ Rusí	Руся́м Rusjám
accusative	Ру́сь Rúsʹ	Ру́си Rúsi
instrumental	Ру́сью Rúsʹju	Руся́ми Rusjámi
prepositional	Руси́ Rusí	Руся́х Rusjáx

Pre-reform declension of Русь (inan fem-form 3rd-decl accent-f″) 

	singular	plural
nominative	Ру́сь Rúsʹ	Ру́си Rúsi
genitive	Руси́ Rusí	Русе́й Ruséj
dative	Руси́ Rusí	Руся́мъ Rusjám
accusative	Ру́сь Rúsʹ	Ру́си Rúsi
instrumental	Ру́сью Rúsʹju	Руся́ми Rusjámi
prepositional	Руси́ Rusí	Руся́хъ Rusjáx

Synonyms

• Ру́сская земля́ (Rússkaja zemljá)

Derived terms

• Бе́лая Русь (Bélaja Rusʹ, “White Ruthenia, White Russia, Belarus”)
• Вели́кая Русь (Velíkaja Rusʹ, “Great Russia, Muscovy”)
• вы́русь (výrusʹ, “a Russian who rejected their Russian identity for another”)
• Карпа́тская Русь (Karpátskaja Rusʹ, “Carpathian Ukraine”)
• Ки́евская Русь (Kíjevskaja Rusʹ, “Kievan Rus”)
• Ма́лая Русь (Málaja Rusʹ, “Little Russia, Ukraine”)
• не́русь (nérusʹ, “a non-ethnic Russian”)
• о́трусь (ótrusʹ, “a Russian who left their Russian identity”)
• ру́сич (rúsič, “an inhabitant of ancient Rus, a Rusyn”)
• ру́сский (rússkij)
• Русь-матушка (Rusʹ-matuška)
• Свята́я Русь (Svjatája Rusʹ, “Holy Rus', Holy Russia, the Russian Empire”)
• Чёрная Русь (Čórnaja Rusʹ, “Black Ruthenia”)

Descendants

• → Chinese:
  • Mandarin: 羅斯／罗斯 (Luósī)
• → Japanese: ルーシ (Rūshi)
• → Latin: Russia (New Latin)
• → Nanai: лоча (loča)
• → Nivkh: лоча (loț’a)

Ukrainian

Etymology

Inherited from Old Ruthenian Русь (Rusʹ). By surface analysis, Proto-Germanic *rōþrą + -ь (-ʹ)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [rusʲ]

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Русь • (Rusʹ) f inan (genitive Ру́сі or Русі́ or Ру́си or Руси́, uncountable, relational adjective ру́ський)

1. Rus
2. (historical) Kievan Rus (a medieval principality in Eastern Europe centred around Kyiv; at its maximum extent covering much of modern Ukraine, Belarus and western Russia and considered an early predecessor of each country)

   Ки́ївська Русь ― Kýjivsʹka Rusʹ ― Kievan Rus

3. Ruthenia

Declension

Declension of Русь
(inan sg-only 3rd-decl fem-form accent-a/d)

	singular
nominative	Русь Rusʹ
genitive	Ру́сі, Русі́, Ру́си, Руси́ Rúsi, Rusí, Rúsy, Rusý
dative	Ру́сі, Русі́ Rúsi, Rusí
accusative	Русь Rusʹ
instrumental	Ру́ссю Rússju
locative	Русі́ Rusí
vocative	Ру́се Rúse

Synonyms

• Ру́ська земля́ (Rúsʹka zemljá)

Derived terms

• давньору́ський (davnʹorúsʹkyj, “Old Rus, Old East Slavic language”)
• Ки́ївська Русь (Kýjivsʹka Rusʹ, “Kievan Rus”)
• Мала́ Русь (Malá Rusʹ, “Little Russia”)
• Підкарпа́тська Русь (Pidkarpátsʹka Rusʹ, “Subcarpathian Ruthenia”)
• Ру́ська земля́ (Rúsʹka zemljá, “Ruthenia”)
• Украї́на-Русь (Ukrajína-Rusʹ), Русь-Украї́на (Rusʹ-Ukrajína)
• Черво́на Русь (Červóna Rusʹ, “Red Ruthenia”) (Eastern Galicia)
• Чо́рна Русь (Čórna Rusʹ, “Black Ruthenia”)

Further reading

• “Русь”, in Горох – Словозміна [Horox – Slovozmina, Horokh – Inflection]‎^[3]
• “Русь”, in Kyiv Dictionary (in English)
• “Русь”, in Словник.ua [Slovnyk.ua, Slovnyk.ua]‎^[4]