Russian

Alternative forms

• (abbreviation): Ru.

Etymology

Medieval Latin (11th century) Russianus, the adjective of Russia, a Latinization of the Old East Slavic Русь (Rusĭ). Attested in English (both as a noun and as an adjective) from the 16th century.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɹʌʃ(ə)n/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌʃən

Noun

Russian (plural Russians)

1. A person from Russia.
2. An ethnic Russian: a member of the East Slavic ethnic group which is native to, and constitutes the majority of the population of, Russia.
3. A domestic cat breed.
4. A cat of this breed.
5. (juggling, rare in the singular) A type of juggling ball with a hard outer shell, filled with salt, sand or another similar substance.
   • 2011, jamescoutry24, “Beanbags > Russian”, in rec.juggling, Usenet:

     Ok, I do think I am starting to get used to it, but you have to admit, if youve^[sic] been juggling bags and then start juggling Russians, they feel sooo lopsided to juggle at first!

Proper noun

Russian

1. The Russian language.

Adjective

Russian (comparative more Russian, superlative most Russian)

1. Of or pertaining to Russia.
   • 2017 February 19, John Oliver, “Putin”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 4, episode 2, HBO:

     So that is the official line: you’re shit, we’re shit, everything’s shit, never try for a better world because it doesn’t exist. That is not only bleak, I think it’s also the working title of every Russian novel ever written.

2. Of or pertaining to the Russian language.
3. (dated) Of or pertaining to Rus.

See also

Russian alphabet (Cyrillic)

Аа • Бб • Вв • Гг • Дд • Ее • Ёё • Жж • Зз • Ии • Йй

Кк • Лл • Мм • Нн • Оо • Пп • Рр • Сс • Тт • Уу • Фф

Хх • Цц • Чч • Шш • Щщ • Ъъ • Ыы • Ьь • Ээ • Юю • Яя

Vocabulary

• Appendix:Russian Swadesh list for a Swadesh list of basic vocabulary words in Russian