Where does “русофил” come from?
русофил (Serbo-Croatian) comes from Serbo-Croatian фил, from Ottoman Turkish fil, from Arabic فِيل, from Middle Persian pyl, from Latin pirum — a pear.
русофил (Serbo-Croatian): Russophile
Ancestry of “русофил”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Serbo-Croatian | фил | "or"; elephant |
| 2 | Ottoman Turkish | fil | — |
| 3 | Arabic | فِيل | elephant; the elephant |
| 4 | Middle Persian | pyl | elephant; bishop |
| 5 | Latin | pirum | a pear |