Ruthenian

[ roo-thee-nee-uhn, -theen-yuhn ]

/ ruˈθi ni ən, -ˈθin yən /

Save This Word!

adjective

Also Ru·thene

[roo-theen] /ruˈθin/ . of or relating to the inhabitants of Ruthenia, Galicia, and neighboring regions.

noun

one of the Ruthenian people.

the dialect of Ukrainian spoken in Ruthenia.

a member of a former Orthodox religious group that entered into communion with the Roman Catholic Church in 1596 and became the “Uniate Church of the Little Russians.”

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of Ruthenian

First recorded in 1840–50; Rutheni(a) + -an

Words nearby Ruthenian

rutabaga, rutaceous, ruth, Ruth, Babe, Ruthenia, Ruthenian, ruthenic, ruthenious, ruthenium, Rutherford, Rutherford, Ernest

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Ruthenian in a sentence

Ruthenian is a language intermediate between Russian and Polish, but quite independent of both.
Cossack Fairy Tales and Folk Tales|Anonymous
Poland's claims were to be left to the self-determination of the Silesian and Ruthenian populations.
The Inside Story Of The Peace Conference|Emile Joseph Dillon
Mr. Ardan says Ruthenian men and women drink, "farmers and Protestants being exceptions."
Aliens or Americans?|Howard B. Grose
There are four Ruthenian weeklies and one monthly published in this country, and some books.
Aliens or Americans?|Howard B. Grose

With regard to the Ruthenian districts of Hungary also they had made demands which had been refused by me.
In the World War|Count Ottokar Czernin

British Dictionary definitions for Ruthenian

Ruthenian

/ (ruːˈθiːnɪən) /

adjective

of or relating to Ruthenia, its people, or their dialect of Ukrainian

noun

a dialect of Ukrainian

a native or inhabitant of Ruthenia

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012