Etymology Explorer › Russian

Where does “чёрный” come from?

чёрный (Russian) comes from Proto-Slavic čьrnъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic kiršnas, from Proto-Indo-European kr̥snós, from Proto-Indo-European kers- — black, dirty; run; to run.

чёрный (Russian): black; rough, coarse; back

Definitions

  1. black; rough, coarse; back

Ancestry of “чёрный”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Slavicčьrnъblack
2Proto-Balto-Slavickiršnasblack
3Proto-Indo-Europeankr̥snósblack; dark, dusky
4Proto-Indo-Europeankers-black, dirty; run; to run

Words derived from “чёрный”

  • chernukha
  • chernozem
  • chernozemic
  • чернозём
  • чернявый
  • черну́ха
  • черновой
  • чёрненький
  • черножопый
  • чёрно-белый
  • чернеть
  • черника
  • Черногория
Every word from Proto-Indo-European kers- →