Ruthenian language: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Ruthenian language is name applied to different Slavic languages in different points of time; for fuller explanation of reasons for this, see Ruthenia.

1. Ruthenian language is a name for language spoken by early East Slavs, also called Old Ruthenian language or Old Russian language; this language is ancestor of modern Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Russian language.
2. Ruthenian language is former name for Ukrainian language.
3. Ruthenian language is sometimes used for Rusyn language (which is often considered a dialect of the Ukrainian language).