etymology of Belarus

[Andrij Hornjatkevyc]

At 04:52 PM 12/05/00 -0800, you wrote:
>Ludomir Lozny wrote:
>
>> >
>> > I was wondering whether someone from the list could offer me a brief
explanation on etymology of the name Belarus?
>> >
>> > best,
>> > ludomir lozny

This may be a bit far fetched, but I have heard from my colleague Dr. Tom
Priestly that colours were used as markers for the points of the compass.
(If I am in error here, then the fault is mine, and not Dr. Priestly's.)
The colours are: N - white, W - red, S - black, and E - green. The
reference point is the centre of Ancient Rus' - Kyiv. White Rus' (Belarus')
and the White Sea are to the N, the Black Sea is to the S, the Cherven'
cities (Ruthenia rubra) is to the W. Sadly, the system does not work for
the E, there is no *Green Rus'.


Dr. Andrij Hornjatkevyc
Associate Professor
Canadian Institute of           Modern Languages and
Ukrainian Studies               Cultural Studies
352 Athabasca Hall              200 Arts Building
University of Alberta           University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB T6G 2E8    Edmonton, AB T6G 2E6
phone (780) 492-3765    phone (780) 492-0733
fax (780) 492-4967              fax (780) 492-9106

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