Talk:Russia

To be correct, USSR and the other items listed as synonyms are not. The USSR covered a much larger area that is now 15 separate countries. Eclecticology 01:35, 17 Nov 2003 (UTC)

That is true, although a synonym is usually a word of similar rather than identical meaning. (Perhaps they could be listed as Related Words instead.) However, colloquially, the term Russia was very often used by English speakers to refer to the entire USSR. A dictionary should arguably note this, in the same way that the dictionary includes the (equally incorrect) use of "England" to refer to the whole UK. Amatlexico 07:18, 17 Nov 2003 (UTC)

That interpretation of synonym is debatable, but since we have an acceptable alternative we don't have to go there for now. You're right that Russia and USSR were often used interchangeably, but I would never then or now encourage it. As for your other point -- just don't call a Scotsman English unless you're at least 100 metres away from him. :-) Eclecticology 08:38, 17 Nov 2003 (UTC)

To incorporate

(from wikipedia:List_of_country_name_etymologies)

• Russia: from a Varangian (Viking) group known as the Rus', and from the state of Kievan Rus' they founded. Soviet scholars were averse to attribute the foundation of Russia to Scandinavians rather than to Slavic cultural groups and therefore often insisted that the term "Rossija" was derived from the ethnonym of the ancient Roxolani. In fact however, the Roxolani are now understood to have been of Sarmatian (Iranian) origin. (See also Etymology of Rus and derivatives and Rus' (people).)
  • Éguó (俄国, Chinese), Nga (Vietnamese):
  • Krievija (Latvian), Krīevõmō (Livonian): after the Krivichians, a Slavic people from Valday. The name of the tribe probably derives from the name of their forefather Prince Kriv, who bore the nickname of Krivoy ("Handicapped") due to some possible birth defect.
  • Nuučča sirė (Нуучча сирэ, Yakut):
  • Venemaa (Estonian), Venäjä (Finnish:

Mikkalai 23:00, 8 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Etymology

Compare Hebrew ראשׁ (“Russia”). ROSH is stated to be the old Hebrew name for Russia. — This comment was unsigned. Andrew (talk) 07:08, 29 March 2022.

If the point is that it has shin and not sin, this is actually not too inconsistent with the Old East Slavic Русь, since the word-final palatalized /s^j/ could sound similar to /ʃ/. Compare the audio for modern Русь (Rusʹ), which sounds a bit like Ruš to me. As for the "o" vocalization, I don't know. Do you have the version of the Hebrew with niqqud? 70.172.194.25 07:36, 29 March 2022 (UTC)

For the source, please see the Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon, page 752 (DCCLII). Andrew H. Gray 11:25, 29 March 2022 (UTC)Andrew (talk)

Old English

In section translations stated that word “Russland” is Old English and meaning Russia, but I haven´t founden it in any sources. Is it correct or not? Nið ricsað (talk) 12:12, 11 September 2022 (UTC)

It certainly seems suspect. It was added back in 2006 when our standards were looser. I tagged it for verification. Chuck Entz (talk) 15:11, 11 September 2022 (UTC)

I remember being pretty surprised when I found out that Estland (“Estonia”) was used in the Old English Orosius. Whether that term actually referred to the same general territory as modern Estonia is not clear to me, but that's the translation we give and I guess it's plausible. I'm not seeing anything for Russland(e|es) though, whether in Orosius or any other indexed OE source. 98.170.164.88 04:21, 29 October 2022 (UTC)