Sao Francisco

1 5.6

A long river in eastern Brazil that flows into the Atlantic Ocean

proper noun

: Sao Francisco

The Sao Francisco River is vital for transportation and agriculture in northeastern Brazil.

Examples

Many hydroelectric plants are found along the Sao Francisco River.
The communities living near the Sao Francisco depend on its water during the dry season.
The Sao Francisco river is the longest river in Brazil.
Many tourists visit the Sao Francisco every year.
The Sao Francisco River is vital for transportation and agriculture in northeastern Brazil.
Many hydroelectric plants are found along the Sao Francisco River.
The communities living near the Sao Francisco depend on its water during the dry season.

Surface Forms

Sao Francisco main

Morphology

Sao + Francisco

This is a toponym formed from a personal/name element (São/Sao + Francisco); even if a learner knows the constituents (e.g., 'Saint Francis'), that does not transparently indicate that the phrase names a long river or its properties. The meaning ‘a river in eastern Brazil’ is world-knowledge and not compositionally derivable from the parts, so it is opaque.

Etymology

The river Sao Francisco was named by early Portuguese explorers for Saint Francis; Sao means 'Saint' and Francisco means 'Francis', and one popular story says they found the river on Saint Francis's day. So the name simply points to the river and that is why Sao Francisco refers to this river today.