Etymologically
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russus

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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈrʊs.sʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈrus.sus][1]

Forms

russus (feminine russa, neuter russum); first/second-declension adjective[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *russos (“red”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ- (“red”), the root of ruber.[1][2] How the double /s/ arose is disputed: Hill, cited by de Vaan, starts from *h₁rudʰ-tós (Proto-Italic *rutsto-), since a thematised s-stem should have given *rūsus;[2] the OLD starts from a form with the suffix -s- and compares Lithuanian rùstas.[3]

Compare Old East Slavic русъ (rusŭ).[1]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan and Köbler find it first in Ennius (204–169 BC),[2][4] who in a tragedy speaks of red faucēs, throat or jaws.[5]

Semantic evolution

The word is rare in literature.[6] It names a red, sometimes warm or brownish, and of people it means red-haired.[3] Lucretius has it of awnings, Catullus of gums,[6][5] and Gellius discusses it among the names of colours.[6] Later writers use it of the red tunics of soldiers and commanders, and of red wine.[5] Through French it is the source of English russet and roux.[7]

Timeline

  • 204–169 BC – Ennius: red jaws.[5][4]
  • 96–55 BC – Lucretius: red awnings.[6][4]
  • 81/79–52/50 BC – Catullus: red gums.[6][5][4]
  • c. 165 AD – Gellius discusses it among colour words.[6][4]
  • mid-13th century – English russet, from Old French, first for a coarse cloth.[7]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. red, reddish (often a warm or brownish red).[3][6][1]
  2. (of people) red-haired.[3]

Word family

  • russātus
  • russescō
  • russeus
  • russulus

Usage notes

The OLD also records russus as a form of the adverb rursus “back, again”.[3] Gellius has the spelling rūsus.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
  3. ^ a b c d e Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  4. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ a b c d e f Georges, Karl Ernst (1913–1918), Ausführliches lateinisch-deutsches Handwörterbuch, 8th ed., ed. Heinrich Georges, Hannover; Leipzig: Hahn
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  7. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com