Aven

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A name found in Irish tradition designating a river or stream ; a rare given name sometimes used for females ; occasionally employed as a poetic or literary term for a flowing watercourse
2. Used to refer to a river or waterway in certain Irish contexts ; serves as an uncommon first name, often feminine ; can poetically describe a current of water
3. Denotes a flowing river or stream particularly in Irish literature ; an unusual personal name, especially for girls ; at times utilized as a lyrical way to name running water

Etymology: The English noun "aven" arrived by way of French, where "aven" names a river or stream, and it is the same word that gave English its literary sense of running water. In Irish-inspired writing it has been used as a lyrical way to name a flowing river or stream, which is where most of its poetic life lies. Its use as a personal name, especially for girls, is a separate and much more recent development, borrowing the sound of the older word for a gentle, musical effect.

Synonyms: cave shaft, vertical shaft, pit cave