Rus
A people made up of Scandinavian warrior merchants who travelled Eastern European river-roads from the eighth century, and whose settlements around Novgorod, Kiev/Kyiv and the Volga and Dnieper/Dnipro gave rise to the Rus' principalities.
Proper noun
- A people made up of Scandinavian warrior merchants who travelled Eastern European river-roads from the eighth century, and whose settlements around Novgorod, Kiev/Kyiv and the Volga and Dnieper/Dnipro gave rise to the Rus' principalities.
- In 860 the Rus’ streamed southwards and laid siege to Constantinople itself. - 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, published 2010, page 504:
- Kievan Rus, the medieval East Slavic state established by these same warrior merchants in the 9th century, whose capital was in Kiev.
- Any of the medieval East Slavic principalities ruled by this class, especially Kievan Rus.
- The nation of Russia, especially in a transcendent or romantic sense referring to the history and culture of the country.
Origin
Earlier form Russ from German Russe etc., from Old East Slavic Русь (Rusĭ). More recent use influenced by Russian Русь (Rusʹ), from Old East Slavic Русь (Rusĭ). Use with macron was probably influenced by the transliteration of Arabic رُوس (rūs). Compare Russ, Russian, Russie, Russniak, Rusyn, Ruthenian. Also compare Swedish Ryss, Dutch Rus, German Russe, French Russe, Byzantine Greek Ῥῶς (Rhôs), Russian Русь (Rusʹ), Belarusian Русь (Rusʹ), Ukrainian Русь (Rusʹ). Also compare Russian ру́сский (rússkij, “Ethnic Russian, of Rus”), россия́нин (rossijánin, “Russian national”), Росси́я (Rossíja, “Russia”). See further Etymology of Rus and derivatives.
Forms
Synonyms
Varangians Kievan Rus Kievan Rus' Kyivan Rus Kyivan Rus' Rus' principalities Kiev Kyiv
Related
Belarus Belarusian Bielorussia Bielorussian Little Russia Little Russian Rusnak Rusniak Russia Russian Rusyn Ruthenia Ruthene Ruthenian
Derived
Noun
- A person from Rus.
- And if a Rus hits a Greek, or a Greek a Rus with a sword, a spear or any other weapon, he shall pay five litres of silver for his offence, in accordance with Rus law; and if he be unable (insolvent—Author) his property...
- If a Varangian claimed money from a Rus, or a Rus from a Varangian, and the debtor refused to pay, the plaintiff, accompanied by twelve witnesses, . . . - 1959, Sergeĭ Mikhaĭlovich Solov’ev, History of Russia from the...
- The Church of Kievan Rus knew men well-versed in Scripture and apparently other learning of the time, such as the Metropolitans Ioann II (d. 1089) and Klimetn Smoliatich (twelfth century). The former was Greek, and the...