Seman (river)

Seman
Seman
	Aerial view of Seman river flowing through the Myzeqe Plain
Location
Country	Albania
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Osum and Devoll
Mouth
• location	Adriatic Sea
• coordinates	40°49′25″N 19°22′0″E
Length	85 km (53 mi)
Basin size	5,649 km2 (2,181 sq mi)[1]
Discharge
• average	95.7 m3/s (3,380 cu ft/s)

The Seman is a major river in western Albania. It is formed by the confluence of the rivers Devoll and Osum, a few km west of Kuçovë. It is 85 km (53 mi) long (281 km (175 mi) with its longest source river Devoll) and its drainage basin is 5,649 km² (2,181 sq mi). Its average discharge is 95.7 m³/s (3,380 cu ft/s).[2] It meanders generally westwards through a flat lowland. Near Fier it receives Gjanica from the left. It flows into the Adriatic Sea at the southern margin of Divjakë-Karavasta National Park.

Name

In classical antiquity, the Seman River was known as the Apsus, which is a derivative of the Indo-European root *ăp- "water, river". The Illyrian hydronym Apsus, corresponds to Apsias, a river name in southern Italy brought by Illyrian migrations (Iapygians) in the region.[3] The contemporary Albanian name Seman/Semen (definite form: Semani/Semeni), which is used to indicate the lower course of the river, evolved from *Apson- through Albanian phonetic changes. Also the contemporary Albanian name Osum (definite form: Osumi), which is used to indicate the upper course of the river, evolved from *Apsōn(em), but through Bulgarian phonetic changes.[4]

References

"The coastline of Albania: morphology, evolution and coastal management issues" (PDF). ciesm.org. p. 8.
Cullaj, A.; Hasko, A.; Miho, A.; Schanz, F.; Brandl, H.; Bachofen, R. (2005). "The quality of Albanian natural waters and the human impact". Environment International. 31 (1): 137. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2004.06.008. PMID 15607787.
Palmer, Leonard Robert (1988). The Latin Language. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 40. ISBN 0-8061-2136-X.
Georgiev, Vladimir Ivanov (1981). Introduction to the History of the Indo-European Languages. Publishing House of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. p. 350. ISBN 978-953-51-7261-1.

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[1] "The coastline of Albania: morphology, evolution and coastal management issues" (PDF). ciesm.org. p. 8.

[2] Cullaj, A.; Hasko, A.; Miho, A.; Schanz, F.; Brandl, H.; Bachofen, R. (2005). "The quality of Albanian natural waters and the human impact". Environment International. 31 (1): 137. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2004.06.008. PMID 15607787.

[3] Palmer, Leonard Robert (1988). The Latin Language. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 40. ISBN 0-8061-2136-X.

[4] Georgiev, Vladimir Ivanov (1981). Introduction to the History of the Indo-European Languages. Publishing House of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. p. 350. ISBN 978-953-51-7261-1.