Русьскаꙗ землꙗ

Old East Slavic

Etymology

From the full form of the adjective русьскъ (rusĭskŭ, “of the Rus”) and the noun землꙗ (zemlja, “earth, land”) (modern Russian земля (zemlja)). Firstly mentioned in the 12th-century "Primary Chronicle".

Proper noun

Русьскаꙗ землꙗ (Rusĭskaja zemlja) f

  1. Used other than with a figurative or idiomatic meaning: see русьскъ (rusĭskŭ),‎ землꙗ (zemlja).
  2. land of the Rus, East Slavic lands, Rus
    • s.a. 6370 (862)
      • и ѿ тѣхъ Варѧгъ . прозвасѧ Рускаꙗ землѧ .
        i otŭ těxŭ Varęgŭ . prozvasę Ruskaja zemlę .
        From these Varangians (the Rus), the Rus land received its name.
    • 1229, Смоленская торговая Правда (Smolensk Trade Law)
      • Роусиноу не звати ∙ латина на полѣ битъ сѧ ∙ оу роускои земли ∙:∙ А латининоу не звати роусина на полѣ бито сѧ ∙ оу ризѣ и на готскомь березѣ ∙:∙
        Rusinu ne zvati ∙ latina na polě bitŭ sę ∙ u ruskoi zemli ∙:∙ A latininu ne zvati rusina na polě bito sę ∙ u rizě i na gotskomĭ berezě ∙:∙
        A Russian should not call a German for a battle in the Russian land, a German should not call a Russian for a battle in Riga or in Gotland.
    • 1607 Русский разговорник (Tonnis Fenne, Russian phrasebook)
      • Здѣ яз божиею помочию почину писат кую рѣце как надобъ немьчину с русиномь порускы говорит от домовьню дѣле и всяких дѣлех говоря. Б(ог)ъ даи мнѣ здараво ѣхат на рускую землю да рускому языку на учитса. Тоннис Фенне
        Zdě jaz božieju pomočiju počinu pisat kuju rěce kak nadobŭ nemĭčinu s rusinomĭ porusky govorit ot domovĭnju děle i vsjakix dělex govorja. B(og)ŭ dai mně zdaravo ěxat na ruskuju zemlju da ruskomu jazyku na učitsa. Tonnis Fenne
        Here I begin with God's help to explain how a German should speak Russian with a Russian concerning house and other business. Lord, let me go to the Russian land without problems and study the Russian language.

Usage notes
  • The main orthographic divergence was in the usage of the оу digraph or simply у, double or single с, the absence or presence of the soft sign, and also the feminine ending in ꙗ or ѧ. These in sum gave many spelling variants such as русьскаꙗ, роусьска, роусьскаѧ, рускаѧ, рускаꙗ, роусскаѧ etc. and землꙗ or землѧ. But the etymologically right form is роусьскаꙗ землꙗ.
  • The first word is usually capitalised.

Synonyms

Descendants

References
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