Where does “чёрненький” come from?
чёрненький (Russian) comes from Russian чёрный, from Proto-Slavic čьrnъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic kiršnas, from Proto-Indo-European kr̥snós, from Proto-Indo-European kers- — black, dirty; run; to run.
чёрненький (Russian): Diminutive of чёрный
Ancestry of “чёрненький”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Russian | чёрный | black; rough, coarse; back |
| 2 | Proto-Slavic | čьrnъ | black |
| 3 | Proto-Balto-Slavic | kiršnas | black |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥snós | black; dark, dusky |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | kers- | black, dirty; run; to run |