Mordovka

Mordovka (also spelled Mordvin) refers to:

1. A collective term for two closely related, but distinct, Finnic peoples native to Russia, primarily inhabiting the Republic of Mordovia and surrounding regions: The two groups are the Moksha and Erzya. While related culturally and linguistically, they maintain separate identities, languages, and, to some extent, cultural traditions. Historically, both groups have also been referred to collectively as Mordvinians in English.

2. The Mordvinic languages: These belong to the Uralic language family, specifically the Finno-Ugric branch. The two main languages are Moksha and Erzya. While mutually intelligible to some degree, they possess distinct phonetic, grammatical, and lexical features. Russian is also widely spoken.

3. A former administrative entity, the Mordovian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (Mordovian ASSR), within the Russian SFSR (Soviet Federative Socialist Republic) during the Soviet period: This region eventually became the Republic of Mordovia after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

4. The Republic of Mordovia, a federal subject of Russia: Located in the Volga Federal District, it is considered the historical and cultural center of the Moksha and Erzya peoples. The capital is Saransk.

The term "Mordovka" and its variants have a long and complex history, with its etymology debated. The term has sometimes been used in a broader sense, encompassing smaller related groups. However, the primary contemporary usage refers to the collective of Moksha and Erzya people, their languages, and the Republic of Mordovia.