Órbigo

The Órbigo River is a river in the provinces of León and Zamora, Spain. It begins at the convergence of the Luna River and the Omaña River in the village of Secarejo, in the Cimanes del Tejar municipality. Decades ago, that confluence was some km. before, in the town of Santiago del Molinillo. It flows from north to south through the province of León and ultimately flows into the Esla River below Benavente.

Órbigo
Latin: Urbicus
The union of the rivers Luna and Omaña at this point form the Órbigo river
Location
CountrySpain
Physical characteristics
SourceUnion of the rivers Luna and Omaña
  locationSecarejo, Cimanes del Tejar, Ribera del Órbigo, León, Castile and León, Spain
  elevation902 m (2,959 ft)
MouthEsla river
  location
Santa Colomba de las Monjas, Benavente y Valles, Zamora, Castile and León, Spain
  elevation
702 m (2,303 ft)
Length162 km (101 mi)
Basin size4,995 km2 (1,929 sq mi)
Discharge 
  locationmouth
  average38.81 m3/s (1,371 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Tributaries 
  rightDuerna, Tuerto, Jamuz and Eria

How the river came to have this name is not known. According to the linguist E. Bascuas, the toponym Órbigo, would come from a Paleo-European hydronymic theme *urw-, derived from the Indo-European root *er- 'flow, move', with a hydronymic meaning. The first mention is from Hydatius "Ad fluvium nomine Urbicum".[1] The name could also have Vasque roots, from the words "Ur" (water) and "Bi" (two). There exists a theory that the river now called the Luna should be the real start of the Órbigo. Although it was the same river, in the times of the Conde Luna, it was ordered to change that name of the river so that the part in the county would have its name.

Tributaries

  • Duerna
  • Tuerto
  • Jamuz
  • Eria
  • Special tributary: Presa Cerrajera, which splits from the Órbigo and later flows into it again

See also

References

  1. Edelmiro Bascuas, Hidronimia y léxico de origen paleoeuropeo en Galicia (pág. 114)

41°59′23.62″N 5°42′23.58″W


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