River Avon
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Avon means "river". "River Avon" in England therefore, literally means "River River" as does "Afon Afan" (River Afan) in Welsh.
There are several rivers named "Avon" around the world:
England
- River Avon, Devon, Bigbury on Sea near Salcombe
- River Avon, Warwickshire through Stratford-upon-Avon
- River Avon, Hampshire through Salisbury and Christchurch
- River Avon, Bristol through Bath and Bristol
- See also: Rivers of the United Kingdom
Wales
- River Afan is sometimes anglicised to Avon.
Scotland
- River Avon, Falkirk
- River Avon, Strathspey
- Avon Water, tributary of the River Clyde
- See also: Rivers of the United Kingdom
Canada
New Zealand
Australia
- Avon River (Western Australia)
- Avon River (Western Victoria)
- Avon River (Gippsland, Victoria)
- Avon River (New South Wales)
The name "Avon" comes from the Welsh word afon meaning "river". (It appears that later arrivals to Britain would ask the indigenous people what the local river was called, and were told, in the local language, that it was a river). Similar naming errors have occurred with other cultures; for example the Yarra River in Victoria (Australia) was named by European settlers who asked local Wurundjeri aborigines what the river was called.
The etymology of Avon is the Proto-Celtic *abonā, meaning "river".
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