Saison River

Infobox River | river_name = Saison


caption =
origin = Licq-Athérey
mouth = Gave d'Oloron
coord|43|24|8|N|0|58|27|W|name=Gave d'Oloron-Saison|display=inline,title
basin_countries = France
length = 72 km
elevation = 288 m
discharge =
watershed = 627 km²

The Saison ["Gaison" on the 18th century map by Cassini; "Sazon" in 1548.] or Uhaitz Handia ["Uhaits handia" on the map of Cassini] , is a left tributary of the Gave d'Oloron, in the French Basque Country (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), in the Southwest of France.

It is also known as the Gave de Mauléon.

Geography

The river is formed in Licq-Athérey from the confluence of the Gave de Sainte-Engrâce (from the Pierre-Saint-Martin Cave) and the Gave de Larrau (from the Pic d'Orhy).

It flows north and joins the Gave d'Oloron in Autevielle-Saint-Martin-Bideren, downstream from Sauveterre-de-Béarn.

Départements and towns

* Pyrénées-Atlantiques: Tardets-Sorholus, Mauléon-Licharre.

Name

The vernacular name "Uhaitz handia" (or simply "Uhaitza") is based on the common word "uhaitz" meaning 'torrential river' in Euskara. It corresponds to the French word "gave". "-a" is the article and "handi" means 'big'.

The enigmatic gascon name "Saison" could be due to an attraction by the word "season" of the former name "Gaison", itself derived from the variant "ugaitz" of "uhaitz".

Tributaries are also interesting from a linguistic point of vue, with two specific stems:
* *Apʰanize: name of tributaries from Montory ("Apʰanize") and from Haux ("Apʰanixe") ["x" [ʃ] is a softened allomorph of the phoneme "z" (laminal [s] as the French "ss").] .
* *Apʰahura: leading to the following names: "Apʰaura" (from Aroue and from Arrast [also graphied "Apʰanire" following Paul Raymond, "Dictionnaire topographique du département des Basses-Pyrénées", 1863.] , "Apʰura" (from Alçay), "Apʰuhura" (from Aussurucq).The stem "gezal", a derivate of basque "gazi" 'salty', applied to 'still water', is alo represented.

Main tributaries

* (R) "Apʰanixe (Appaniche)", from Haux
* (L) "Elgabarrena" or "Ütʰürrotxa", from Etchebar
* (R) "Apʰanize" [Aphanize, Aphanice] , from Montory
* (L) "Apʰura" or "Aphoura", from Alçay
* (L) "Gezala / Guéçala", from Camou-Cihigue
* (L) "Apʰuhura (Aphouhoura)" or "Gezaleko erreka / Guéçalia", from Aussurucq
* (L) "Arangorena", from Ordiarp
** (L) "Abarrakia", from Musculdy
* (R) "Apʰaura" [L'Apaure, la Phaure…] , from Arrast-Larrebieu,
* (L) "Barlako erreka" or "Apʰaura" [La Phaure, Lafaure…] , from Aroue,
* (L) "Héourqué", from Lohitzun-Oyhercq
** (L) "Xuhukoa", from Domezain

Notes

References

*http://www.geoportail.fr
* [http://sandre.eaufrance.fr/app/chainage/courdo/htm/Q7--0250.php?cg=Q7--0250 The Saison at the Sandre database]