//Belarus’ very name, which means “white Russia.”//
Not really.
Yes, 'Bela' means 'white'. Rus' refers to the East Slavic people of several different nationalities, Belarusan being one. The Latinized (and then Anglicized) form of Rus' is 'Ruthenian', originally referring to all the Rus' people, then, since it was a Latinized term, the Catholic Ruthenians, and later with the Ukrainian national revival, the term was left to the Carpatho-Ruthenians, who have since readopted their Slavic names of Rusyn, Lemko, Hutsul or Boyko.
By the 15th century, the Muscovite Rus' began to refer to themselves as people of 'Rossiya' (in latin letters), i.e. "Russia'.
Anglophones (including even Anglophone people of Rus' ancestry such as the characters in 'The Deer Hunter' who called themselves 'Russians') are not always sensitive to these distinctions, but Slavic speakers generally are.
//Belarus’ very name, which means “white Russia.”//
Not really.
Yes, 'Bela' means 'white'. Rus' refers to the East Slavic people of several different nationalities, Belarusan being one. The Latinized (and then Anglicized) form of Rus' is 'Ruthenian', originally referring to all the Rus' people, then, since it was a Latinized term, the Catholic Ruthenians, and later with the Ukrainian national revival, the term was left to the Carpatho-Ruthenians, who have since readopted their Slavic names of Rusyn, Lemko, Hutsul or Boyko.
By the 15th century, the Muscovite Rus' began to refer to themselves as people of 'Rossiya' (in latin letters), i.e. "Russia'.
Anglophones (including even Anglophone people of Rus' ancestry such as the characters in 'The Deer Hunter' who called themselves 'Russians') are not always sensitive to these distinctions, but Slavic speakers generally are.
Good points. I've changed the phrasing of that sentence.
Belarus is on my bucket list. 2 of my great-grandparents were born there.