Ruthenian
1
9.9
- noun
- Some Ruthenians consider themselves a separate people; others consider themselves ethnic Ukrainians.
Examples
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Hungary's mostly peasant communities of Slovaks, Romanians, and Ruthenians thus traded one form of discrimination for another.
Academic text (2016) -
He further told me that about 140,000 Ruthenians currently live in Slovakia.
Academic text (1996) -
"To identify yourself as a Ruthenian was an act of political defiance in those days."
Academic text (1996) -
Now we Americans are going back there to help Ruthenians and Ukrainians remember their own customs.
Academic text (1996) -
There are an estimated one million Ruthenians spread out in the Carpathian Mountains of Poland, Ukraine, Slovakia, Romania, and Hungary.
Academic text (1996) -
A more realistic problem is the increasing discontent of the local populations that Kyiv purists consider Ukrainian, but whom Transcarpathian natives often term "Ruthenian." (n6)
Academic text (2004) -
Many Ruthenians are proud of their unique cultural heritage and traditions.
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The festival celebrated Ruthenian music and arts, showcasing talents from the community.
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In the village, elders tell stories of Ruthenians who emigrated to America in search of better opportunities.
Synonyms
1
5.6
About the people, languages, and culture of eastern Europe and Russia
A person from an East Slavic group in the Carpathian region
Surface Forms
Morphology
Ruthenian = Ruthenia (semi-transparent) = Ruthen + ian
A regular demonym formation using '-ian'; the link to a person from Ruthenia is clear if the learner knows the place name, otherwise it may be opaque.
Etymology
Ruthenian originally named people from Ruthenia, the Latin word for the lands of Rus in Eastern Europe. So a Ruthenian is simply 'a person from that region', even when borders or country names have changed.