Origin: 1920–25; < Russ
chervónets, ORuss
chervon(
n)
yi a similar gold coin < Pol
czerwony a gold coin, lit., red (appar. because gold of a high purity was thought to have a reddish cast), c. Czech
červený, Serbo-Croatian
cr̀ven, cr̀(
v)
ljen, Bulg
chervén < Slavic
*čṛvljen, orig. ptp. of
*čṛviti to dye red, deriv. of
*čṛvĭ worm,
kermes (Serbo-Croatian
cr̂v, Pol
czerw, Russ
chervʾ), a by-form of
*čṛmĭ; cf. OCS
chrĭmĭnŭ red;
see crimson, vermilion 
[cher-voh-nits, -nets; Russ. chyir-vaw-nyits] 