From Old Church Slavonic *зьрькало* (zĭrkalo), derived from the verb *зьрѣти* (to look, to see), related to modern Russian *зреть* and *зрение* (vision). The suffix *-кало* denotes an instrument, so the word literally means "a thing for looking." Cognate with Czech *zrcadlo* and Polish *zwierciadło*.

Mirrors carry rich folklore significance in Russian culture. Breaking a mirror (*разбить зеркало*) is considered bad luck, foretelling seven years of misfortune — a superstition shared widely across Europe. In folk tradition, mirrors were covered after a death in the household, as they were believed to trap the soul of the deceased. The phrase *смотреть в зеркало* also appears metaphorically, meaning honest self-reflection.