Etimoloji
Borrowed from Old Ruthenian пуща (pušča, “thick forest”), from Old East Slavic пуща (pušča, “desolate place”), from Proto-Slavic *pušča from *pȗstъ (“desolate”). By surface analysis, пусто́й (pustój) + -я (-ja). Cognate with Polish puszcza, Ukrainian пу́ща (púšča), Belarusian пу́шча (púšča).