# river, lake, sea



## jana.bo99

Hope there is no other topic about that before me?

Slovenian:

River/Reka!
Lake/Jezero!
Sea/Morje!

Croatian: 

River/Rijeka!
Lake/Jezero!
Sea/More!

German:   

River/Der Fluss!
Lake/Der See!
Sea/Das Meer!


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## avok

Turkish:

River : Nehir 
Lake : Göl
Sea: Deniz

Hmmm I'd like to go swimming but it is just cold and snowy here


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## Angel.Aura

In *Italian*:

- The River -> Il fiume
- The Lake -> Il lago
- The Sea-> Il mare


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## Gżegżółka

In *Polish:*

river - rzeka;
lake - jezioro;
sea - morze.


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## Frank06

Hi,


jana.bo99 said:


> German:
> River/Der Fluss
> Lake/Der See
> Sea/Das Meer


 
I copied the German words, just to contrast them with the Dutch ones:
In *Dutch*:
River/Der Fluss - de rivier
Lake/Der See - het meer
Sea/Das Meer - de zee

Groetjes,

Frank


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## Outsider

Portuguese: O rio! O lago! O mar!


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## betulina

In Catalan:

the river - *el riu*
the lake - *el llac*
the sea - *el mar/la mar* - it accepts both genders.


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## Outsider

French:  La rivière ! Le lac ! La mer ! / Le fleuve ! Le lac ! La mer !


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## jana.bo99

Hello Frank,

There is the truth:

If somebody speaks English and German, can also understand Dutch (but must listen very good, because many words are similar).

Groetjes,

jana.bo


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## Kangy

In Spanish:

The river = El río
The lake = El lago
The sea = El mar


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## robbie_SWE

In Romanian (N.B. the articles are enclitic in Romanian, so they are attached after the noun): 

the river = *râul*, *fluviul* 
the lake = *lacul* 
the sea = *marea* 

In Swedish: 

the river = *floden*, *älven*
the lake = *sjön*
the sea = *havet*

 robbie


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## Hakro

*Finnish:*

 river - joki; virta (= big river)
 lake - järvi; lampi (= pond)
 sea - meri


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## Maja

In Serbian:

river - reka
lake - jezero
sea - more.


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## Nizo

*Esperanto:* _la rivero, la lago, la maro!_


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## ronanpoirier

Hungarian:

A folyó! A tó! A tenger!


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## avok

ronanpoirier said:


> Hungarian:
> 
> A folyó! A tó! A *tenger*!


 
Hungarian "tenger" for "sea" looks like a Turkic word: "deniz" in Turkish. But one can hear "dengiz", "tengiz" too and "r:z" in some Turkic languages.


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## Orreaga

*Basque*:
Ibaia;  Lakua; Itsasoa!


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## Frank06

Hi,



jana.bo99 said:


> There is the truth:
> If somebody speaks English and German, can also understand Dutch (but must listen very good, because many words are similar).


 
I am always happy to read "the truth"... but I have no idea what you mean...

Frank


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## Outsider

Noticing the similarity between the words for "sea" in many languages, I went to look for their etymology, and found the following.



> Gmc. languages also use the general IE word (represented by Eng. _mere_), but have no firm distinction between "sea" and "lake," [...] The two words are used more or less interchangeably, and exist in opposite senses (e.g. Goth. _saiws_ "lake," _marei_ "sea;" but Du. _zee_ "sea," _meer_ "lake"). Cf. also O.N. _sær_ "sea," but Dan. _sø_, usually "lake" but "sea" in phrases. Ger. _See_ is "sea" (fem.) or "lake" (masc.).
> 
> Online Etymology Dictionary


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## Locoidiomas

Quechua:
Mayu-challay!
Qucha-challay!
Hatun qucha-challay!

(of course this is from the cusco-bolivian dialect)


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## avok

hi locoidiomas,

"challay" means something? If so, what? please?


outsider......could you check the etymology of the Hungarian word "tenger" ???


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## Outsider

avok said:


> outsider......could you check the etymology of the Hungarian word "tenger" ???


I'm afraid I don't have any references for Hungarian.


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## avok

Outsider said:


> I'm afraid I don't have any references for Hungarian.


 
Outsider... look what I have found ! : this 

I quote from Wikipedia:



> Tenger
> 
> Hungarian
> 
> Etymology
> 
> From a Turkic language, compare Turkish deniz


 
I wonder which Turkic language it must be... Hmmm *pondering*


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## Outsider

Interesting, though beware: it's a wiki, anyone can edit it.


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## Locoidiomas

avok said:


> hi locoidiomas,
> 
> "challay" means something? If so, what? please?


Hard to explain. It basically makes the word more sweet (like when you say "kitty" instead of cat). But here it works as vocative (instead of Oh River!).


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## SerinusCanaria3075

Greek
River: *ο ποταμός* [o potamós]
Lake: *η λίμνη* [_i_ límni]
Sea: *η θάλασσα* (i thálassa); *το πέλαγος* (_t_o pélagos)

Sardinian 
River: *S’arríu*; *Su fiúmene* (from latin _Flūmĕn_); *Su ríbu* (variants: _riu, rivu_) – all masculine gender.
Lake: *Su làgu* (from Latin _Lăcŭs_)
Sea: *Su màre*.

Russian - Russian has no definite articles.
River: *Река* [Reka].
Lake: *Озеро* [Ozero]. (unsure about pronunciation)
Sea: *Море* [More]. (unsure about pronunciation)
Help me out with the pronunciation please.


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## Outsider

Locoidiomas said:


> But here it works as vocative (instead of Oh River!).


But why did you use the vocative? Because of the exclamation points, perhaps?


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## Locoidiomas

Outsider said:


> But why did you use the vocative? Because of the exclamation points, perhaps?


Indeed


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## Outsider

Very interesting. Are exclamation and interrogation normally expressed with suffixes in Quechua?


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## Locoidiomas

Outsider said:


> Are exclamation and interrogation normally expressed with suffixes in Quechua?


 Well, you always use suffixes for exclamation sentences (it is the most natural way to speak), but not always for interrogative sentences.


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## peri+kleos

SerinusCanaria3075 said:


> Greek
> Greek
> River: *ο ποταμός* [o potamós]
> Lake: *το λίμνη* [to límni]
> Sea: *η θάλασσα* (i thálassa); *ο πέλαγος* (o pélagos)


Nice try but please allow me to add and correct some things. 
The River: *ο ποταμός* [o potamós] _but also *το ποτάμι *[to potami]_ masculine and neuter forms
The Lake: *το η λίμνη* [to_ i_ límni] _because is a feminine word_
The Sea: *η θάλασσα* (i thálassa); *ο το πέλαγος* (o _to_ pélagos) _the word πέλαγος is a neuter word _


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## Layla_N

Arabic:
river - نهر (nahr)
lake - بحيرة (buHeira)
sea - بحر (baHr)


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## jana.bo99

Hello Frank,

I think, that is not so difficult to understand me:

I have told you, that your language (Dutch) is something between English and German and we can understand Dutch if we listen wery good!
Remember: I had many years to do with dutch tourists. 

jana.bo


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## Mjolnir

*Hebrew*:
River - נהר (_nahar_)
Lake - אגם (_agam_)
Sea - ים (_yam_)



Layla_N said:


> Arabic:
> *river - نهر (nahr)*
> lake - بحيرة (buHeira)
> sea - بحر (baHr)


 
Pretty similar


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## cherine

Mjolnir said:


> *Hebrew*:
> River - נהר (_nahar_)
> Lake - אגם (_agam_)
> Sea - ים (_yam_)
> 
> Pretty similar


Pretty similar indeed! Yam يم is another Arabic word for "sea"  (We stress the mim م ).


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## avok

Hei,
We have similar words too!!

River is also : Nehir 

Bahr (bahir ?) is no longer used in modern Turkish, as I know, but this word survives in words like "bahriyeli" which means "naval officer"


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## kusurija

In Czech:
Nominative (sg.)/pl.
river/s = řeka/řeky
lake/s = jezero/jezera
sea/s = moře/moře

Vocative (sg.): (pl.=as nominative)
river! = řeko! (rest = as nominative)

In Lithuanian:
river = upė
lake = ežeras
sea = jūra (sea as large gulf/bay/lagoon = marios)

In Japanese:
river = 川 or 河 [kawa(both characters)] or -[sen _or_ -gawa(-川)]; -[ka(-河)]
lake = 湖[mizuumi] or -[ko]
sea = 海[umi] or -[kai]


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## elroy

Small correction: 





Layla_N said:


> Arabic:
> river - نهر (nahr)
> lake - بحيرة (buHaira)
> sea - بحر (baHr)


 By the way: the word for "lake" is just a diminutive form of the word for "sea."


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## cALLgUrl

Tagalog (Philippines):


river: ilog
lake: lawa
sea: dagat

Hmmmm...Summertime is near in our country.


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## bb3ca201

Gaelic:

(the) river = (an) abhainn
(the) lake = (an) locha
(the) sea = am muir (masc) or a' mhuir (fem); either is fine.


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## apmoy70

SerinusCanaria3075 said:


> Greek
> River: ο ποταμός [o potamós]
> Lake: η λίμνη [i límni]
> Sea: η θάλασσα (i thálassa); το πέλαγος (to pélagos)...


...also colloquially *«ποτάμι»* [pɔˈta.mi] (neut.) for the river < Classical masc. *«ποταμός» pŏtamós* & neuter diminutive (found in Strabo) *«ποτάμιον» pŏtắmiŏn* --> _river_ (of uncertain etymology, for Beekes it could be Pre-Greek).

The MoGr *«λίμνη»* [ˈlim.ni] (fem.) derives from the Classical fem. *«λίμνη» límnē* --> _stagnant water, pond, lake, marsh_ which is with different ablaut and a zero grade suffix from the Classical 3rd declension masc. *«λειμών» lei̯mṓn* (nom. sing.), *«λειμῶνος» lei̯mônŏs* (gen. sing.) --> _moist, grassy place, humid meadow_ (could be of IE origin but it's isolated within Greek).

The MoGr *«θάλασσα»*  [ˈθa.la.sa] (fem.) --> _high seas, sea_ is identical with the Classical fem. noun *«θάλασσα» tʰắlassā* (with unknown etymology, possibly Pre-Greek).
*«Πέλαγος»* [ˈpe.la.ɣɔs] (neut.) --> _sea, embayment of sea_ is a Classical neut. noun *«πέλαγος» pélagŏs*, alt. name of sea with unknown etymology, possibly Pre-Greek too.


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## AndrasBP

kusurija said:


> In Lithuanian:
> river = upė
> lake = ežeras
> sea = jūra


*Latvian *is closely related to Lithuanian:

river: upe
lake: ezers
sea: jūra


*Georgian*:

river: mdinare (მდინარე)
lake: tba (ტბა)
sea: zghva (ზღვა)


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## Sardokan1.0

*Sardinian *(Logudorese, from central-northern Sardinia)

_river - riu, rivu -> plural "sos rios, rivos"
lake - lacu -> plural "sos lacos"
sea - mare -> plural "sos mares"_


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## nimak

*Macedonian*

river = река (reka) ['rɛka] _f. -> pl._ реки (reki) ['rɛki]
lake = езеро (ezero) ['ɛzɛrɔ] _n. -> pl._ езера (ezera) ['ɛzɛra]
sea = море (more) ['mɔrɛ] _n. -> pl._ мориња (morinja, morińa) ['mɔriɲa]


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