On the Etymology of the Russian морошка "Rubus chamaemorus"
Studia Russica XXVI 2018
Jurijs Hramovs

In modern literature on the etymology of the word морошка "Rubus chamaemorus" its Finno-Ugric origin is accepted. However, this version of the explanation is still not fully developed. It seems expedient to return to the proper Slavic etymologization of this word and pay attention to its multivariance in Russian folk dialects. The cloudberry is called моховая смородина, морозка, смородка, сморожка. It is possible that the modern морошка is a reinterpreted form of смородина according to the following model: смородина → сморожка → морожка → морошка. Also possible is the motivation of the name of the plant as a northern berry, a winter-hardy culture or a plant exposed to spring frosts: морозка → морожка → морошка.


Keywords
Borrowing, multiple etymology, East Slavic languages, dialects, plant names.
Hyperlink
https://publications.hse.ru/mirror/pubs/share/direct/226643679

Hramovs, J. On the Etymology of the Russian морошка "Rubus chamaemorus". In: Studia Russica XXVI, Hungary, Budapešta, 20-21 October, 2017. Budapešta: ELTE, 2018, pp.473-478. ISBN 978-963-489-048-5. ISSN 0139-0287.

Publication language
Russian (ru)
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