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Neva River

Neva River

1 4.5
A river in northwestern Russia that flows into the Gulf of Finland through Saint Petersburg
  • proper noun
: río Neva
  • Tourists often enjoy boat rides along the Neva River to take in the stunning architecture of St. Petersburg.

Examples

  • In summer, the Neva River becomes a popular spot for locals to relax and watch the bridges open for passing ships.

  • St. Petersburg may not be Russia's economic capital, but when it comes to the arts (remember one of our previous posts about Hermitage), this glorious city on the Neva River is perhaps the country's brightest star.

    Blog text (24)
  • The city of St. Petersburg is located on the banks of the Neva River, which flows into the Gulf of Finland.

Synonyms

Neva
vsNeva River
1 7.2

A river in northwestern Russia that flows west into the Gulf of Finland through Saint Petersburg

is the fuller formal name used in official or formal contexts

Surface Forms

Neva River main

Morphology

Neva + river

This is a compositional name: a proper name 'Neva' combined with the noun 'river' yields the straightforward meaning of a river called Neva. River-naming is a cross-linguistically transparent pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would understand this refers to the watercourse in/near Saint Petersburg.

Etymology

Neva River may come from an old local word 'neva' meaning 'marsh' or 'bog', because the river originally ran through low, wet land; so the name points to the swampy ground the river flows through today.