Re: Russkii vs Rossiiskii

HCLE Quernheim writes:
 > >  Not sure how it could in English, though.  Maybe keep _Russian_ for
 > >_rossijskij_ and coin _Russ(ic)_ for _russkij_?
 >
 > I'd be tempted to suggest _rusky_ for _russkij_. However, in at least one
 > book I recently read, _russkies_ was used as a pejorative term for Russians
 > - if this usage exists also extrafictionally, my idea is obviously pretty
 > bad.
 >
 >
 > <<>>
 > In German language, there's only one word "russisch" for both ethnicity and
 > state. "Russki" IS used as a pejorative.
 > <<>>
 >

In English too, although my own sense is more that it's an informal
term that tends to be used in pejorative utterances, rather than being
particularly pejorative in itself.  It's about on the same level as
"yank" or "limey", rather than "wop" or "dago".  But context is
important with all such terms.  I'd say official adoption is pretty
strongly contraindicated.

See for example this quote from the 1964 film _Dr. Strangelove_;
"Well, boys, I reckon this is it -- nucular combat toe to toe with the
Rooskies."