Альтернативный взгляд на этимологию «Руси», «реки» и связанных понятий: Когнитивно-образный подход / An Alternative Perspective on the Etymology of «Rus’», «Reka» (River), and Related Concepts: A Cognitive-Figurative Approach

The author of this article proposes an alternative etymology for key Russian words such as <b>«Rus’»</b> [rusʲ], <b>«reka»</b> [rʲɪˈka] (river), and <b>«rech’»</b> [rʲet͡ɕ] (speech), moving beyond purely phonetic reconstructions and generally accepted academic paradigms. We argue that a deep analysis of <b>figurative comparisons</b> and <b>cognitive archetypes</b>, rooted in Proto-Indo-European thought, allows for the construction of a more logical, plausible, and semantically rich picture of these terms’ origins. Within this approach, traditional «random coincidences» can be reinterpreted as evidence of deep, lost connections.