tributary
支流
解説 Definition
支流とは、より大きな川に合流する小さな川のことです。主要な河川に水を供給する支脈を指します。
A tributary is a smaller river or stream that flows into a larger river. It is a common word in geography and discussions of river systems. A tributary does not flow directly into the sea if it first joins another river.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
contribute を知っていれば覚えやすい語。tributary は「大きな川に水を“足していく側”の川」と考えると、支流の役割がそのまま意味になる。地図で本流へ向かって流れ込む細い川を思い浮かべると定着しやすい。a tributary of the Amazon / Nile の形で「アマゾン川・ナイル川の支流」と言うことが多い。branch や stream と違い、単に“小川”ではなく、どこかの本流に合流する関係まで含む語。逆に本流から分かれていく distributary とは別物。
Link it to `contribute`: a `tributary` is a smaller river that gives its water to a larger one. That makes the direction easy to remember. You often see it in patterns like `a tributary of the Nile` or `a tributary of the Amazon`.
例文
The tributary joined the main river after winding through the valley.
その支流は谷をぬって流れ、本流に合流した。
During spring melt, fish swim from the tributary into the larger river.
春の雪解け時には魚が支流から本流へ泳ぎ進む。
Heavy rain made the tributary swell and spill over its banks.
大雨で支流が増水し、川岸を越えてあふれた。
tributary の類義語・関連語
紛らわしい語
tributary の語源・成り立ち Etymology
tributary はラテン語 tributarius に由来し、もとは tributum「貢ぎ物」から来た「貢納する」の意味でした。tribute や contribute も同じ tribuere「割り当てる・与える」にさかのぼり、大きな川へ水を“納める川”だと考えると「支流」が腑に落ちます。
Tributary comes from Latin tributarius, linked to tributum, meaning "tribute" or "payment." It is related to the verb tribuere, meaning "to assign" or "to give," which also appears in tribute and contribute. The idea later shifted to a river that "gives" its water to a larger river. That is how it came to mean a branch river or stream.
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