Editing Ruthenian language (section)

===Names in historical use===
Contemporary names, that were used for this language from the 15th to 18th centuries, can be divided into two basic linguistic categories, the first being [[endonyms]] (native names, used by native speakers as self-designations for their language), and the second [[exonyms]] (names in foreign languages).

Common endonyms:
* {{translit|zle|Ruska(ja) mova}}, written in various ways, as: {{wikt-lang|zle-ort|рускїй|ру́скаꙗ}} {{wikt-lang|zle-ort|мо́ва}}, and also as: {{wikt-lang|zle-ort|ру́скїй}} {{wikt-lang|zle-ort|ѧзы́къ}} (''ruskiy jazyk{{'}}'').
* {{translit|zle|Prosta(ja) mova}} (meaning: the ''simple speech'', or the ''simple talk''), also written in various ways, as: {{lang|zle|проста(ѧ) мова}} or {{lang|zle|простй ѧзыкъ}} (Old Belarusian / Old Ukrainian: {{lang|zle|простый руский (язык)}} or {{lang|zle|простая молва}}, {{lang|zle|проста мова}}) – publisher [[Hrehory Chodkiewicz|Hryhorii Khodkevych]] (16th century). Those terms for simple vernacular speech were designating its [[diglossia|diglossic]] opposition to literary [[Church Slavonic language|Church Slavonic]].{{sfn|Мозер|2002|p=221-260}}{{sfn|Danylenko|2006a|p=80-115}}{{sfn|Danylenko|2006b|p=97–121}}
* It was sometimes also referred to (in territorial terms) as {{translit|ru|Litovsky}} ({{langx|ru|Литовский язык}} / Lithuanian). Also by Zizaniy (end of the 16th century), Pamva Berynda (1653).

Common exonyms:
* in {{langx|la|lingua ruthenica}}, or {{lang|la|lingua ruthena}}, which is rendered in English as: ''Ruthenian'' or ''Ruthene'' language.{{sfn|Verkholantsev|2008|p=1}}
* in {{langx|de|ruthenische Sprache}}, derived from the Latin exonym for this language.
* in {{langx|hu|Rutén nyelv}}, also derived from the Latin exonym.