LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
adjectivefirst/second-declension adjective

russus

russus (feminine russa, neuter russum)
Classical[ˈrʊs.sʊs]Ecclesiastical[ˈrus.sus]

Meaning

  1. adjectivered (a kind of cheap, coarse red, perhaps such as could be produced with madder; whole circus awnings could be dyed to this color)

Declension

singular
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativerussusrussarussum
genitiverussīrussaerussī
dativerussōrussaerussō
accusativerussumrussamrussum
ablativerussōrussārussō
vocativerusserussarussum
plural
formmasculinefeminineneuter
nominativerussīrussaerussa
genitiverussōrumrussārumrussōrum
dativerussīsrussīsrussīs
accusativerussōsrussāsrussa
ablativerussīsrussīsrussīs
vocativerussīrussaerussa

russus, a, um, adj.,
I. red (very rare): vela, Lucr. 4, 75: gingiva, Cat. 39, 19: tunicae, Val. Imp. ap. Treb. Claud. 14; and Vop. Aur. 13; cf. Gell. 2, 26, 6.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁rewdʰ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁rudʰ-tós
  3. Proto-Italic*russos
  4. Latinrussus

From Proto-Italic *russos, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ- (“red”). Compare Old East Slavic русъ (rusŭ) (< Proto-Slavic *rusъ < *rudsъ). See also ruber.

Descendants
  • Catalanros
  • Englishrouxfrom Old French rous
  • Englishrussetfrom Old French rous
  • Frenchrouxfrom Old French rous
  • Italianrosso
  • Occitanros
  • Portugueseroxofrom Old Galician-Portuguese roxo
  • Portugueserussofrom Old Galician-Portuguese roxo
  • Romanianroșu
  • Spanishrojofrom Old Spanish roxo

In English words that came into English from russus

  • rouserussus
  • russelrussulus

Quick answers

What does russus mean in Latin?
russus, a adjective, means “red (a kind of cheap, coarse red, perhaps such as could be produced with madder; whole circus awnings could be dyed to this color)”.
How do you pronounce russus?
In classical Latin, [ˈrʊs.sʊs]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈrus.sus].
Where does russus come from?
Proto-Indo-European *h₁rewdʰ- → Proto-Indo-European *h₁rudʰ-tós → Proto-Italic *russos → Latin russus.