russ
n. uncountablen. an old name for the people or the land of Russia. You mostly see this word in history books or old stories.
n. the medieval East Slavic people or the territory they inhabited, forming the historical basis for modern Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. Often used in historiography to refer to the Kievan state.
The ancient Russ lived in the forests of Eastern Europe.
Historians study the trade routes used by the Russ to connect the Baltic and Black Seas.
The chronicles of the Russ provide a foundational narrative for the cultural and political identity of the East Slavic nations, blending mythic origins with early medieval statecraft.
When referring to the people, it is treated as a collective plural; when referring to the land, it is treated as a proper name.