Sault Sainte Marie

1 8.0

A city in southern Ontario, Canada, by the St Marys River across from Sault Ste Marie, Michigan

proper noun
/sɔːlt seɪnt mɑːˈriː/

: Sault Sainte Marie

Have you ever been to Sault Sainte Marie?

Examples

Tourists often visit Sault Sainte Marie to see the historic locks on the St. Marys River.
My family drove through Sault Sainte Marie during our vacation to northern Ontario.
The bridge connecting Michigan and Sault Sainte Marie is a vital international crossing.
I visited Sault Sainte Marie last summer.
Sault Sainte Marie is known for its picturesque views along the Sault Sainte Marie River.
Many tourists visit Sault Sainte Marie to experience its rich history and beautiful parks.
The annual festival in Sault Sainte Marie attracts visitors from across Canada and the United States.

Synonyms

Sault Ste. Marie

vsSault Sainte Marie

1 7.9

A city in southern Ontario, Canada, on the St Marys River across from a city in Michigan

is the longer, more formal written form for that same city

Surface Forms

Sault Sainte Marie main

Morphology

Sault + Sainte + Marie

This is a French-derived place name where knowing 'Sainte' + 'Marie' may cue 'Saint Mary' and signal a toponym, but the element 'Sault' is archaic/opaque to most learners and does not transparently indicate 'city' or location. The overall referent (a specific city in Ontario) cannot be fully derived from the parts by an average B1 learner, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Sault Sainte Marie comes from early French explorers. The word Sault is an old French form meaning 'jump' and points to the fast rapids where the river seems to jump, and Sainte Marie means 'Saint Mary', so the name pictures the rapids by Saint Mary and fits the city on the St. Marys River.