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Lake Onega

Lake Onega

6.2
A large lake in northwest Russia near the border with Finland, the second largest in Europe
  • proper noun
translation icon : Lago Onega
  • Fishermen report that Lake Onega is abundant with various species of fish throughout the year.

Examples

  • The islands of Lake Onega are home to some of the oldest wooden churches in Russia.

  • I rather thought we might go to Lake Onega for the weekend.

  • Thousands of tourists visit Lake Onega every year to enjoy its natural beauty and rich history.

Synonyms

Onega
vsLake Onega
8.4

A large lake in northwest Russia that is the second largest in Europe

has identical meaning but is the longer form that includes the word lake

Surface Forms

Lake Onega main

Morphology

lake + Onega

This is a transparent toponym: the meaning is directly derivable from combining the generic noun 'lake' with the place name 'Onega' — it denotes a lake called Onega. The construction (generic geographic term + proper name) is compositional and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will understand it refers to that body of water.

Etymology

Lake Onega may come from an old local word for 'island' or 'river' used by the people who lived in the area long ago. Because the lake has many islands and large rivers flowing into it, that old word became the name of the lake.