Sault Ste. Marie

1 7.9

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

proper noun
/sɔːlt seɪt ˈmɛəri/

: Sault Ste. Marie

During the summer, many tourists visit Sault Ste. Marie to explore the Soo Locks.

Examples

Sault Ste. Marie is known for its stunning views along the Sault Ste. Marie River.
In the Eastern U.P., there has been a resurgence of the "traditional" culture since the early 1970s in Sault Ste. Marie, Brimley, St. Ignace, and nearby areas.

Academic text (2017)
In Sault Ste. Marie.

Academic text (2017)
The city of Sault Ste. Marie offers various outdoor activities, including hiking and fishing.

Synonyms

Sault Sainte Marie

vsSault Ste. Marie

1 8.0

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

uses the abbreviated French form for saint in the place name

Surface Forms

Sault Ste. Marie main

Morphology

Sault + Ste. + Marie

This is a proper-name composed of French elements: if a learner recognizes 'Ste.' as 'Sainte' and 'Marie' as 'Mary' they can infer it is a place named for a saint, so there is a partial clue to its referential class. However, 'Sault' is opaque to many learners and the specific meaning 'a particular city in Ontario' cannot be fully derived from the parts, so the transparency is limited.

Etymology

Sault Ste. Marie may come from old French: the word sault once meant a 'jump' and was used for fast water, or 'rapids', and Ste. Marie means Saint Mary. So the name points to the river rapids by a church of St. Mary, which is why the town on the river has that name today.