Darling River

1 3.7

A major river in south-east Australia that flows into the Murray River

proper noun

: río Darling

Many towns along the Darling River face water shortages during droughts.

Examples

The Darling River is known for its importance to Australian agriculture.
Tourists enjoyed a boat trip down the Darling River last summer.
The Darling River flows through New South Wales.
Have you ever visited the Darling River?
The Darling River is the main source of water for many communities in southeastern Australia.
Several species of fish can be found in the Darling River, making it popular among anglers.
The annual festival celebrates the history and culture surrounding the Darling River.

Surface Forms

Darling River main

Morphology

Darling + river

The phrase combines a proper name 'Darling' with the common noun 'river', so a learner who knows 'river' can readily infer it refers to a river called Darling. This NAME + noun naming pattern is cross-linguistically common, so the basic referential meaning is transparent even though geographic details (e.g. it being a major tributary of the Murray) require extra world knowledge.

Etymology

Darling River was named after Governor Darling, Ralph Darling, an early governor of New South Wales. Explorers used his name for the river, so the name refers to that person and not the word 'beloved'.