Elbe River

1 4.2

A major river in central Europe that starts in the Czech Republic and flows north to the North Sea

proper noun

: río Elba

The Elbe River flows through several beautiful cities in Germany.

Examples

Have you ever visited the Elbe River?
Many important cities, including Dresden and Hamburg, are located along the Elbe River.
During World War II, Allied and Soviet forces met at the Elbe River in 1945.
The Elbe River flows more than 1,000 kilometers from the Czech Republic to the North Sea.
The Elbe River flows through picturesque landscapes before reaching the North Sea.
Many historic cities are located along the Elbe River, including Dresden and Hamburg.
In spring, the Elbe River is known for its beautiful cherry blossoms that attract many visitors.

Synonyms

Elbe

vsElbe River

3 6.7

A river in central Europe that flows from the Czech Republic through Germany to the North Sea

is identical in meaning but uses the full official name with river

Surface Forms

Elbe River main

Morphology

Elbe + river

This is a straightforward compositional proper-name + noun phrase: knowing 'Elbe' (a place/name) and 'river' (a natural watercourse) allows a B1 learner to infer it refers to the river called Elbe. Proper-name + entity constructions are cross-linguistically common, making the meaning immediately deducible from the parts.

Etymology

Elbe River may come from an old word Albis that people long ago used to mean a big 'river' or the colour 'white'. Because the water could look bright or foamy, they may have thought of a 'white river', and that old name became today's Elbe River, so the name simply points to the long river we know now.