грызун

грызть (gryztʹ, “to nibble”) +‎ -у́н (-ún).

Sense 2 is not based on the etymology of the Russian word грузин (gruzin, “a Georgian”) but is a xenophobic pun, playing on the phonetic similarity between Russian грузин (gruzin) and "грызун".

• IPA^(key): [ɡrɨˈzun]

• Audio:

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грызу́н • (gryzún) m anim (genitive грызуна́, nominative plural грызуны́, genitive plural грызуно́в)

1. rodent
2. (derogatory, ethnic slur, offensive) a Georgian person.

The term "грызун" is used as a derogatory and offensive slur against Georgians.

The slur gained prominence in Russian nationalist circles. For instance, the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny referred to Georgians as "грызуны" in a 2008 blog post during the South Ossetia war, a statement for which he later offered an apology. This term is considered hate speech and is deeply offensive to people of Georgian ethnicity.

• грызть impf (gryztʹ)