Where does “Russki” come from?
Russki (English) comes from Russian ру́сский, from Old East Slavic русьскъ, from Old East Slavic Русь, from Finnish ruotsi, from Proto-Finnic *roocci, from Old Swedish roþs-, from Old Norse róðr, from Proto-Germanic rōþrą — to row; to separate; loose, sparse, rare.
Russki (English): Russian
Ancestry of “Russki”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Russian | ру́сский | Ethnic Russian, of Rus; Russian |
| 2 | Old East Slavic | русьскъ | Rusian |
| 3 | Old East Slavic | Русь | Rus; Ruthenia |
| 4 | Finnish | ruotsi | Swedish |
| 5 | Proto-Finnic | *roocci | — |
| 6 | Old Swedish | roþs- | related to rowing |
| 7 | Old Norse | róðr | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | rōþrą | oar; rudder |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁reh₁- | to row; to separate; loose, sparse, rare |