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Glite Dictionary
Canton River

Canton River

1 5.8
A large river in southeast China called the Pearl River that flows into the South China Sea
  • proper noun
  • Archaic
: Río Canton
  • Many bridges span the Canton River as it winds through Guangzhou.

Examples

  • The Canton River is vital to the region's economy, supporting shipping and trade.

  • Pollution remains a concern along the lower stretches of the Canton River.

  • The Canton River is known for its beautiful scenery.

  • Have you ever visited the Canton River?

  • Many bridges span the Canton River as it winds through Guangzhou.

  • Pollution remains a concern along the lower stretches of the Canton River.

  • The Canton River is vital to the region's economy, supporting shipping and trade.

Synonyms

Pearl River
vsCanton River
1 3.9

A river in southeastern China that flows through Guangzhou and into the South China Sea

is a local English trading name distinct from the common modern name
Zhu Jiang
vsCanton River
8.3

A large river in southeastern China called the Pearl River that flows into the South China Sea

is the English trade name used historically
Chu Kiang
vsCanton River
8.4

A large river in southeast China that flows into the South China Sea, also called the Pearl River

is the modern English trade name rather than this spelling

Surface Forms

Canton River main

Morphology

Canton + river

This is a straightforward place-name + geographic noun combination: a learner who knows 'Canton' (the place) and 'river' will naturally infer it refers to the river associated with Canton/Guangzhou. Place-name + 'river' formations are cross-linguistically common and follow normal English naming patterns, so the meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Canton River may come from the old English name Canton for the city 'Guangzhou'. Because the river runs by that city, people called it the Canton River, so the name now means the river beside 'Guangzhou' and is also called the 'Pearl River'.