chervonets

or tcher·vo·netz

[ cher-voh-nits, -nets; Russian chyir-vaw-nyits ]

noun

, plural cher·von·tsi [cher-, vohnt, -see, chyi, r, -, vawn, -tsi].

1. a former gold coin and monetary unit of the U.S.S.R., equal to ten rubles.

chervonets

/ tʃəˈvɔːnɛts /

noun

1. (formerly) a Soviet monetary unit and gold coin worth ten roubles

Word History and Origins

Origin of chervonets¹

First recorded in 1920–25; from Russian chervónets, Old Russian chervon(n)yi “a similar gold coin,” from Polish czerwony “a gold coin”, literally, “red” (apparently because gold of a high purity was thought to have a reddish cast), cognate with Czech červený, Serbo-Croatian cr̀ven, cr̀(v)ljen, Bulgarian chervén, from unattested Slavic čṛvljen, originally past participle of unattested čṛviti “to dye red,” derivative of unattested čṛvĭ “worm,” kermes ( Serbo-Croatian cr̂v, Polish czerw, Russian chervʾ ), a by-form of unattested čṛmĭ; compare Old Church Slavonic chrĭmĭnŭ “red”; crimson, vermilion

Word History and Origins

Origin of chervonets¹

from Old Russian červonyi, from Old Polish czerwony golden, purple