I got this superficial etymology frenzy checking and rechecking meaning of the words and names i know. So for example name of the city Utrecht where i live originally Ultrajectum means 'the last bridge to cross the river Rhine', and Rhine or in Dutch language Rijn means *'clean' tho' now-days one would wonder who got idea to name this dark river clean. By the way searching this stuff I bumped to this short preview of Utrecht history, so here it is....


The origin of Utrecht's spatial structure goes back to the Romans who founded the city two thousand years ago at a point where they could cross the river Rhine. The name Utrecht is derived from Ultrajectum, the last bridge.
In those days it was a real effort to cross the river that was the northern boundary of the Roman Empire. In the centuries that followed, the river Rhine transferred the bulk of its flow to more southerly channels. In the middle ages the Utrecht branch of the Rhine was cut off from the main stream.
The tamed river became a more convenient waterway and the high banks that used to protect the city from the floods lost their function. Merchants used the high banks to build their warehouses and workshops. Today, there is only a small stream called Kromme Rijn, that meanders through the city where it splits up in two: the river Vecht goes north towards the old Zuiderzee, the sea near Amsterdam and the Leidsche Rijn flows to the west to reach the North Sea near Leiden. These three, together with some smaller parallel branches are the network of streams that shapes the urban street pattern.
The rivers in the inner city, the Oude Gracht and Nieuwe Gracht, have a high road and a low road with trees. Pedestrians can walk down the stairs and sit in the outdoor cafés and restaurants that now have taken over the occupation of the old high bank warehouses. Richness in the details of nature and culture, like wall vegetation and sculptured lantern consoles, contribute to the typical Utrecht river profile that is not found in any other Dutch city.



Photo: Winter view on Plompetorengracht in Utrecht / 2001/ B. Novak

*The name Rhine, Which is apparently of Celtic origin, is of uncertain etymology, the most favored derivations being either from der Rinnende (the flowing), or from Rein (the clear), the latter being now the more generally accepted.

More about river Rhine: http://59.1911encyclopedia.org/R/RH/RHINE.htm