Brahmaputra

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A major river in South Asia that flows through Tibet, India, and Bangladesh, known for its significant length and volume
2. A significant river originating in the Tibetan region, traversing multiple countries before merging with the Ganges delta
3. A prominent waterway in the Indian subcontinent, recognized for its substantial flow and cultural importance in surrounding regions

Etymology: The Brahmaputra is one of Asia's great rivers, flowing through Tibet, northeast India and Bangladesh, and its name is a Sanskrit phrase meaning "son of Brahma." Brahma is the Hindu creator deity, and "putra" is the ordinary Sanskrit word for "son," so the name reads literally as a divine parentage claim for the river. The name passed into English by way of the same Sanskrit compound, borrowed without the intermediate stages that many place names pick up. Local tradition in Assam tells of the river's origin in the god's family, which explains why the name fits so naturally on a waterway that the Sanskrit tradition treated as sacred.