Moskva
/mɐˈskva/noun
The Russian name for Moscow, the capital of Russia, and the river on which it stands.
Did you know?Moskva is not a spooky word in itself, but its ancient river-name origin is so old and uncertain that scholars still debate whether it came from a pre-Slavic substrate, a Finno-Ugric source, or an Iranian root.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Slavic / Pre-10th century
Unknown substrate
*Moskva
“Likely the name of the river before the rise of East Slavic settlement, probably meaning the river itself or a local geographic feature.”
Early East Slavic
Old East Slavic
Москъва
“The river name adopted into Slavic usage as the settlement grew around it.”
12th Century
Old East Slavic
Москва
“The emerging city name, derived from the river name.”
14th-15th Century
Russian
Москва
“The major principality and urban center known as Moscow.”
Modern English
English
Moscow
“The standard English form of the city name, borrowed through French and other European languages.”