Rus

See also: rus, RUS, rus', rus., ruš, Rus., Rus', R Us, and Ruś

English

Alternative forms

• Rus'
• Rūs (in the context of transliteration from Arabic)

Etymology

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹuːs/, /ɹʌs/
• Rhymes: -uːs, -ʌs

Proper noun

Rus (countable and uncountable, plural Rus)

1. 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. [from 19th c.]
   • 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, published 2010, page 504:

     In 860 the Rus’ streamed southwards and laid siege to Constantinople itself.

2. Kievan Rus', the medieval East Slavic state established by these same warrior merchants in the 9th century, whose capital was in Kiev.
3. Any of the medieval East Slavic principalities ruled by this class, especially Kievan Rus.
4. (poetic) The nation of Russia, especially in a transcendent or romantic sense referring to the history and culture of the country.

Usage notes

This neutral term is used more often instead of Russia or medieval Russia, acknowledging that the Belarusian, Russian, and Ukrainian people share the heritage of Rus.

With this innovation, it is sometimes unclear how to replace the adjective Russian in the same context. Alternatives include using the attributive noun, as in “the Rus princes”, or rewriting to use “of Rus”. The nonstandard adjective Rusian is seen very rarely.

Synonyms

• (Scandinavians in Eastern Europe): Varangians
• (Kievan Rus): Kievan Rus, Kievan Rus', Kyivan Rus, Kyivan Rus'
• (East Slavic principalities): Rus' principalities
• (Russia): Kiev, Kyiv

Derived terms

• Rusian, Rus'ian (rare)
• White Rus

Related terms

• Belarus, Belarusian
• Little Russia, Little Russian
• Rusnak, Rusniak
• Russia, Russian
• Belarus, Belarusian, Bielorussia, Bielorussian
• Rusyn
• Ruthenia, Ruthene, Ruthenian

Translations

people

Afrikaans: Roes Arabic: رُوس m or f (rūs) Belarusian: Русь f (Rusʹ), русь f (rusʹ), ру́січы m pl (rúsičy) Bulgarian: Рус f (Rus) Carpathian Rusyn: русь f (rusʹ) Chinese: Mandarin: 羅斯 / 罗斯 (zh) (Luósī) Czech: Rus (cs) f Finnish: rusit pl French: Rus’ (fr) f, Rus (fr) f German: Rus (de) f Greek: Ρως f (Ros) Hebrew: רוס f (rus) Indonesian: Rus Japanese: ルーシ (Rūshi) Korean: 루시 (Rusi) Latin: Ruthenia f Latvian: Krievzeme f Macedonian: Рус m (Rus) Malay: Rus Persian: روس (fa) (rus), ارس (fa) (oros) (archaic) Polish: Ruś (pl) f Portuguese: rus (pt) m pl Russian: Русь (ru) f (Rusʹ), ру́сичи (ru) m pl (rúsiči), русь (ru) f (rusʹ) Serbo-Croatian: Cyrillic: Русија f Roman: Rusija (sh) f Slovak: Rus (sk) f Slovene: Rusija (sl) f Spanish: Rus (es) f Swedish: ruser c pl Ukrainian: Русь (uk) f (Rusʹ), русь f (rusʹ), ру́сичі m pl (rúsyči)

medieval East Slavic state

Armenian: Ռուսիա (Ṙusia) Azerbaijani: Rus Belarusian: Русь f (Rusʹ), Ру́ская зямля́ f (Rúskaja zjamljá), Рутэ́нія f (Ruténija) (translation of "Ruthenia") Bulgarian: Рус f (Rus) Carpathian Rusyn: Русь f (Rusʹ), Ру́ська земля́ f (Rúsʹka zemljá) Chinese: Mandarin: 羅斯 / 罗斯 (zh) (Luósī) Czech: Rus (cs) f Dutch: Roes f Finnish: Rutenia French: Rus’ (fr) f, Rous’ (fr) f, Ruthénie (fr) f German: Rus (de) f, Ruthenien (de) n Greek: Ρως f (Ros) Hindi: रूस (hi) m (rūs) Indonesian: Rus Italian: Rutenia f Japanese: ルーシ (Rūshi), ルテニア (Rutenia) Korean: 루시 (Rusi), 루테니아 (Rutenia) Latvian: Krievzeme f Macedonian: Рус m (Rus) Malay: Rus Mongolian: Cyrillic: Рус (Rus) Old Church Slavonic: Cyrillic: Роусь f (Rusĭ) Old East Slavic: Русьскаꙗ землꙗ f (Rusĭskaja zemlja), Русь f (Rusĭ) Polish: Ruś (pl) f Portuguese: Ruténia f (Portugal), Rutênia f (Brazil) Russian: Русь (ru) f (Rusʹ), Ру́сская земля́ f (Rússkaja zemljá), Руте́ния f (Ruténija) (translation of "Ruthenia") Slovak: Rus (sk) f Spanish: Rutenia f Ukrainian: Русь (uk) f (Rusʹ), Ру́ська земля́ f (Rúsʹka zemljá), Руте́нія f (Ruténija) (transliteration of "Ruthenia")

any of the medieval East Slavic principalities

Armenian: Ռուսիա (Ṙusia) Belarusian: Русь f (Rusʹ) Bulgarian: Рус f (Rus) Carpathian Rusyn: Русь f (Rusʹ) Chinese: Mandarin: 羅斯 / 罗斯 (zh) (Luósī) Czech: Rus (cs) f Finnish: Rusj Greek: Ρως f (Ros) Japanese: ルーシ (Rūshi) Latvian: Krievzeme f Macedonian: Рус m (Rus) Old East Slavic: Русь f (Rusĭ) Polish: Ruś (pl) f Portuguese: Ruténia f (Portugal), Rutênia f (Brazil) Russian: Русь (ru) f (Rusʹ) Slovak: Rus (sk) f Ukrainian: Русь (uk) f (Rusʹ)

Russia — see Russia

Ruthenia — see Ruthenia

Noun

Rus (plural Rus)

1. A person from Rus.
   • 1959, Boris Dmitrievich Grekov, Kiev Rus, Foreign Languages Pub. House, p 244:

     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 shall be sold for the best price it fetches, including the very clothes . . .

   • 1959, Sergeĭ Mikhaĭlovich Solov’ev, History of Russia from the Earliest Times [2000], v 3 (The Shift Northward: Kievan Rus, 1154–1228), p 223:

     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, . . .

   • 1973, Donald W. Treadgold, The West in Russia and China: Religious and Secular Thought in Modern Times, v 1 (Russia, 1472–1917), →ISBN, p xxxv:

     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 latter a Rus.

References

• James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Rus”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC.
• John A. Simpson and Edmund S. C. Weiner, editors (1989), “Rus”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN.

Anagrams

• usr, SRU, urs, URs, Sur., sur-, RSU

Afrikaans

Noun

Rus (plural Russe, diminutive Russie)

1. Russian (person from Russia or of Russian descent)

Related terms

• Rusland
• Russies

Central Franconian

Etymology

From Old High German rōsa, from Latin rosa.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʀuːs/

Noun

Rus f (plural Ruse, diminutive Rüsje or Riesche)

1. (most dialects) rose

Usage notes

• The diminutive Rüsje is Ripuarian; the form Riesche is Moselle Franconian.

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈrus]

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Czech Rus, ultimately derived from Old East Slavic Русь (Rusĭ).

Noun

Rus m anim (female equivalent Ruska)

1. Russian (person)

   Synonym: (colloquial) Rusák

Declension

	singular	plural
nominative	Rus	Rusové, Rusi
genitive	Rusa	Rusů
dative	Rusovi, Rusu	Rusům
accusative	Rusa	Rusy
vocative	Ruse	Rusové, Rusi
locative	Rusovi, Rusu	Rusech
instrumental	Rusem	Rusy

Declension of Rus (hard masculine animate)

Related terms

• Ruska
• Rusko
• ruský
• ruština

Etymology 2

Inherited from Old Czech Rus.

Proper noun

Rus f

1. (literary) Russia

   mátuška Rus ― Mother Russia

2. (historical) Rus

   Kyjevská Rus ― Kievan Rus

Declension

	singular
nominative	Rus
genitive	Rusi
dative	Rusi
accusative	Rus
vocative	Rusi
locative	Rusi
instrumental	Rusí

Declension of Rus (sg-only i-stem feminine)

Further reading

• “Rus”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “Rus”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

Proper noun

Rus m anim (female equivalent Rusová)

1. a male surname

Declension

	singular	plural
nominative	Rus	Rusové
genitive	Rusa	Rusů
dative	Rusovi	Rusům
accusative	Rusa	Rusy
vocative	Ruse	Rusové
locative	Rusovi	Rusech
instrumental	Rusem	Rusy

Declension of Rus (hard masculine animate)

Further reading

• “Rus”, in Příjmení.cz (in Czech)

Dutch

Dutch Wikipedia has an article on:

Rus

Wikipedia ^nl

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʏs
• IPA^(key): /rʏs/

Noun

Rus m (plural Russen, diminutive Rusje n, feminine Russin)

1. Russian
2. (Bargoens) detective

Derived terms

• de Russen zijn in het land
• Rusland
• russificeren
• Russisch
• russofiel
• russofoob
• Witrus

Polish

Etymology

From rusy or Rus ("Ruthenian" or "Russian").

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈrus/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -us
• Syllabification: Rus

Proper noun

Rus m pers

1. a male surname

Declension

	singular	plural
nominative	Rus	Rusowie
genitive	Rusa	Rusów
dative	Rusowi	Rusom
accusative	Rusa	Rusów
instrumental	Rusem	Rusami
locative	Rusie	Rusach
vocative	Rusie	Rusowie

Declension of Rus

Proper noun

Rus f (indeclinable)

1. a female surname

Further reading

• “Rus”, in Internetowy słownik nazwisk w Polsce [Internet dictionary of surnames in Poland], 2022

Romanian

Etymology

From rus.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Proper noun

Rus m

1. A village in Dumbrăvița, Maramureș County, Romania
2. A commune of Sălaj County, Romania
3. A village in Rus, Sălaj County, Romania

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rûs/

Proper noun

Rȕs m (Cyrillic spelling Ру̏с)

1. Russian (male person)

Declension

	singular	plural
nominative	Rȕs	Rȕsi
genitive	Rusa	Rusa
dative	Rusu	Rusima
accusative	Rusa	Ruse
vocative	Ruse	Rusi
locative	Rusu	Rusima
instrumental	Rusom	Rusima

Declension of Rus

Further reading

• “Rus”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [rus]

Noun

Rus m pers (female equivalent Ruska)

1. Russian (person)

Declension

	singular	plural
nominative	Rus	Rusi
genitive	Rusa	Rusov
dative	Rusovi	Rusom
accusative	Rusa	Rusov
locative	Rusovi	Rusoch
instrumental	Rusom	Rusmi

Declension of Rus

Proper noun

Rus m pers (female equivalent Rusová)

1. a male surname originating as an ethnonym

Declension

	singular	plural 1	plural 2
nominative	Rus	Rovia	Rovci
genitive	Ra	Rov	Rovcov
dative	Rovi	Rom	Rovcom
accusative	Ra	Rov	Rovcov
locative	Rovi	Roch	Rovcoch
instrumental	Rom	Rmi	Rovcami

Declension of Rus (pattern chlap)

References

• “Rus”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2025

Further reading

• Rusko
• ruský
• rusky
• ruština

Slovene

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /rúːs/

Noun

Rȗs m anim (female equivalent Rúsinja)

1. Russian (male person)

Inflection

The diacritics used in this section of the entry are non-tonal. If you are a native tonal speaker, please help by adding the tonal marks.

Masculine anim., hard o-stem
nom. sing.	Rús
gen. sing.	Rúsa
	singular	dual	plural
nominative (imenovȃlnik)	Rús	Rúsa	Rúsi
genitive (rodȋlnik)	Rúsa	Rúsov	Rúsov
dative (dajȃlnik)	Rúsu	Rúsoma	Rúsom
accusative (tožȋlnik)	Rúsa	Rúsa	Rúse
locative (mẹ̑stnik)	Rúsu	Rúsih	Rúsih
instrumental (orọ̑dnik)	Rúsom	Rúsoma	Rúsi

Related terms

• Rúsija
• rúski
• rúščina

Further reading

• “Rus”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU, portal Fran
• “Rus”, in Termania, Amebis
• See also the general references

Turkish

Noun

Rus

1. A Russian person (nationality)