Where does “черно-” come from?
черно- (Russian) comes from Bulgarian черен, from Old Church Slavonic чрьнъ, from Proto-Slavic čьrnъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic kiršnas, from Proto-Indo-European kr̥snós, from Proto-Indo-European kers- — black, dirty; run; to run.
Ancestry of “черно-”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Bulgarian | черен | black; gloomy |
| 2 | Old Church Slavonic | чрьнъ | black |
| 3 | Proto-Slavic | čьrnъ | black |
| 4 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | kiršnas | black |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥snós | black; dark, dusky |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | kers- | black, dirty; run; to run |