Russia
/ˈrʌʃ.ə/noun
A country spanning eastern Europe and northern Asia.
Did you know?The name’s ultimate origin is debated, but a leading theory connects Rus to Old Norse terms for rowing or rowers, reflecting Scandinavian movement along Eastern European rivers.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Germanic
*rōþrą
“Rowing or a rowing expedition; a proposed ancestral form connected with the name Rus”
8th–10th Century
Old Norse
róðr
“Rowing, a rowing journey, or a rowing crew”
9th Century
Finnic
Ruotsi
“Sweden or Swedes; traditionally linked to Old Norse roðr and applied to Scandinavian seafarers”
9th–10th Century
Old East Slavic
Русь (Rusĭ)
“The Rus; the Scandinavian-led ruling and trading community centered in Eastern Europe”
10th–11th Century
Byzantine Greek
Ῥῶς (Rhôs)
“The Rus, as recorded by Byzantine writers”
11th–13th Century
Medieval Latin
Russia
“The land or realm of the Rus”
Modern English
English
Russia
“The modern country name, inherited through Latin and later European usage”