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to take its rise

to take its rise

7.5
To begin at a certain time or place
  • phrasal verb
  • Archaic
translation icon : originarse
  • The river takes its rise in the mountains.

Examples

  • The environmental movement took its rise in the 1960s amid growing concerns about pollution.

  • The tradition of sending greeting cards took its rise in Victorian England.

  • Many major rivers take their rise in the mountains.

  • Did you know that the Nile takes its rise in Uganda?

  • The river takes its rise in a small spring at the base of the mountain.

  • The tradition takes its rise from ancient rituals practiced by the early settlers.

  • Many legends take their rise from real historical events that have been exaggerated over time.

Synonyms

to arise
vsto take its rise
333 3.3

Start to exist or happen

starts as a source point rather than mainly naming problems
to originate
vsto take its rise
153 3.8

To start or create something

begins itself at a certain time or place rather than causing it
to rise
vsto take its rise
65 2.6

To begin to exist or start to develop

begins at a particular time or place rather than just developing
to originate in
vsto take its rise
34 3.5

Come from a place, time, or situation

starts more generally, not only from a particular place or time
to take root
vsto take its rise
14 3.6

To begin to exist and become accepted by people

names the initial start rather than firm establishment

Antonyms

1.0

To make something end and not continue

324 3.6

To stop or come to an end

How Direct

to stem
104 3.9
to take its rise
  • Archaic
7.5
to originate
153 3.8
to arise
333 3.3

Surface Forms

take its rise infinitive
taking its rise present participle
takes its rise third person singular
taken its rise past participle

Morphology

take + its + rise

The core meaning 'to originate' is partly inferable because 'rise' carries the sense of beginning/origin and 'take' functions as a light verb indicating assumption or onset, so a learner who knows the constituents could guess it refers to where something begins. However, the fixed phrasing 'take its rise' (formal/partly idiomatic, with 'rise' behaving abstractly as a noun and the possessive structure) is not fully predictable for a B1 learner without exposure, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Take its rise comes from the image of a river that takes its rise in the mountains, where water first appears and the river begins. So the phrase now means 'to begin' or 'to come from' a certain place or time.