Russo

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. A surname of Italian origin
2. also refers to a person from Russia, indicating nationality or ethnic descent
3. can denote aspects related to Russian culture or language

Etymology: In English, "Russo" is a surname of Italian origin, particularly Sicilian, where it comes from "Russu," a name given to someone with red hair. The underlying word "russu" means "redhead," so a family name that once described a person's hair colour has come to be recognised as a marker of ancestry. The shift in use is what makes the word interesting. Rather than describing a feature of the bearer, it now signals a family line, and in English it can also be an adjective or noun pointing to someone of Russian nationality or descent. That second sense is a separate and quite different path from the Sicilian surname, and the two meanings sit side by side in the same spelling.

Synonyms: Russian