A river is a large, natural stream of water that flows across land and usually empties into a sea, lake, or another river. Rivers provide water, transportation, and habitats for many living things.
From Old French *riviere* “river, riverbank,” from Latin *riparia (ripa)* “riverbank.” The focus originally was on the banks and shoreline, then shifted to the flowing water itself.
The word’s history shows how people first thought of rivers from the land’s edge—the bank—before focusing on the water. Cities, trade routes, and even borders have followed rivers so closely that they’ve quietly shaped human history.
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