russo Italian · revision 38260

+ {{infobox|confidence=probable|formation=borrowing|attested=before 1471, Alessandra Macinghi Strozzi|origins=orv Русь}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈrus.so/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''russo''' (feminine russa, masculine plural russi, feminine plural russe)^(Wiktionary)

+ The 15th- and 16th-century Venetian and Florentine texts often have ''rosso'', ''rossa'', ''Rossia''.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|17, 268)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ DELI derives it [[bor|ru|Русь|tr=Rusʹ]], the old name of the Rus', which it takes to be of Norse origin, a shortening of [[non|róþsmenn|t=rowers, seafarers]].^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) Nocentini instead takes it [[bor|fr|russe]], from [[m|fr|Russie]], from [[la-med|Russia]], from [[orv|Русь|tr=Rusĭ]], the first state of Slavs and Vikings, founded at Kiev in the 9th century by Viking leaders.^(Nocentini 2010) Treccani starts from the Renaissance Latin ethnic name [[la-new|Russus]].^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ The Norse origin rests on old witnesses such as Liutprand of Cremona, who wrote “Rusios, quos alio nos nomine Nordmannos appellamus” (“the Rus', whom we call by another name Northmen”), but other hypotheses reject it.^(DELI 1999) Wikizionario cites the Finnish name of Sweden, [[fi|Ruotsi]], said to refer to rowers.^(Wikizionario)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The earliest record DELI gives is the form ''rosso'' in the letters of Alessandra Macinghi Strozzi, before 1471.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) She writes of slave girls: ''Le rosse, cioè quelle di Rossia, sono gentili di compressione e più belle'' (“the Russian ones, that is those from Russia, are of fine complexion and more beautiful”).^(GDLI|17, 268) The form ''russo'' is in Marino Sanudo, before 1536.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ In the reports of Venetian ambassadors of the 16th century the ''rossi'' appear among the peoples bordering the Ottoman Empire, beside Muscovites and Tartars.^(GDLI|17, 268) From the 20th century the word was often used loosely for the Soviet Union and its citizens.^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ Many phrases name things thought to be Russian in origin: ''insalata russa'', diced boiled vegetables in mayonnaise, ''montagne russe'', the roller coaster, and ''roulette russa''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Treccani 2011) The verb ''russificare'' (1900) and the noun ''russificazione'' (1878) refer to imposing Russian language and culture.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Before 1471 – Alessandra Macinghi Strozzi writes ''rosse'' for Russian women.^(DELI 1999)^(GDLI|17, 268)

+ * Before 1536 – Marino Sanudo uses ''russo''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1771 – GRADIT dates the modern word.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1878 – ''Russificazione'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+ * 1900 – ''Russificare'' is recorded.^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|Russian]], of Russia, its people or its culture: ''il balletto russo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(loosely)'' Of the [[Unione Sovietica|alt=Soviet Union]].^(GRADIT 2003)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A native or inhabitant of Russia.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(masculine, singular only)'' The Russian [[lingua|alt=language]], an East [[slavo|alt=Slavic]] language written in Cyrillic: ''Ha imparato il russo in tre anni.''^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[russificare]]

+ * [[russificazione]]

+ * [[antirusso]]

+ * [[russismo]]

+ * [[russista]]

+ * [[russistica]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[Russia]]

+ * [[russare]]

+ * [[fr|russe]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ A rare noun ''russo'', “snoring”, is formed from [[russare]] and recorded from 1618.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Zingarelli 2010) Buonarroti the Younger and D'Annunzio use it.^(GDLI|17, 269)^(Tommaseo–Bellini 1861) The surname ''Russo'', the second most common in Italy, is a separate word, from Sicilian ''russu'' “red-haired”.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}