Where does “rus” come from?
rus (Latin) comes from Proto-Italic rowos, from Proto-Indo-European Hrewos, from Proto-Indo-European rewh₁- — free space.
Ancestry of “rus”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Italic | rowos | country, countryside, open land |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-European | Hrewos | open space, field |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | rewh₁- | free space |