Where does “רוס” come from?
רוס (Yiddish) comes from Middle High German ruoz, from Old High German ruoz, from Proto-Germanic hrōtaz, from Proto-Indo-European kreH(u)d- — grime, soot.
רוס (Yiddish): Russian; cockroach
Ancestry of “רוס”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle High German | ruoz | — |
| 2 | Old High German | ruoz | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | hrōtaz | soot |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | kreH(u)d- | grime, soot |