Etymology Map
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Dacha

3 stages from Old Russian to English.

Today it means a country house or cottage in Russia, typically a second home

Where does the word "dacha" come from? It comes from Old Russian dacha, passing through Russian before entering English (1890s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
dacha
Old Russian · medieval
"grant"
'a giving, grant', from dati 'to give'; it meant land granted by a Muscovite prince in return for service
2
Stage 2 of 3
dacha
Russian · 1700s
"country house"
Peter the Great granted plots along the road from St Petersburg to Peterhof to his courtiers, and the word shifted to the country houses built on them
3
Stage 3 of 3
dacha
English · 1890s
"Russian country cottage"
used for Russian summer houses; Stalin's 'Near Dacha' at Kuntsevo, where he died in 1953, made it familiar in reporting on the Kremlin
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Read the full story

Dacha’s story begins in Old Russian: dacha meant “grant.” 'a giving, grant', from dati 'to give'; it meant land granted by a Muscovite prince in return for service. By 1700s, the word had taken hold in Russian as dacha. Peter the Great granted plots along the road from St Petersburg to Peterhof to his courtiers, and the word shifted to the country houses built on them. It reached English by 1890s as dacha. Used for Russian summer houses; Stalin's 'Near Dacha' at Kuntsevo, where he died in 1953, made it familiar in reporting on the Kremlin. Today, dacha means a country house or cottage in Russia, typically a second home.