Early 16th century (in an earlier sense). Originally from early modern German russe, ruse, ruße, rusche (also reuse, rewzse, rewsse, reüsse) native or inhabitant of Russia (Middle High German rūz, rūze, rūsze, rūsche, also (with mutation of the vowel and subsequent diphthongization) riuze, reusz, reusze, reuse; German Russe, (arch.) Reusse); subsequently from its etymon Old Russian Rus′, the name of the country, also the name of the people, earlier the name of an ethnic or social group, ultimately of Scandinavian origin (Russian (now arch. and hist.) Rus′, the name of the country, also ‘people of Kievan Rus’, ‘Russians’, ‘people of Scandinavian origin who settled around Novgorod and Kiev’); further etymology uncertain. Compare post-classical Latin Russus, Old Swedish Ryz, Ryze, Rytz, Old Danish Ryzae, Ryscaen, Rytzen (Danish Russer, †Rus, †Russe, †Rys, †Rysse, †Rysser, etc.), Old Norwegian (plural) Ruzar, Ryzar, Ryzir, Middle Dutch Ruse, Ruese, Rusche (Dutch Rus), French Russe.