Saison (river)
{{Infobox river
| name = Saison
| image =
| image_caption =
| pushpin_map = France#France Nouvelle-Aquitaine
| source1_location = Licq-Athérey
| mouth_location = Gave d'Oloron
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|43|24|8|N|0|58|27|W|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| progression = {{RGave d'Oloron}}
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = France
| length = {{convert|72|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| source1_elevation = {{convert|288|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| discharge1_avg =
| basin_size = {{convert|627|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}
}}
The SaisonGaison on the 18th century map by Cassini; Sazon in 1548. ({{IPA|fr|sɛzɔ̃|-|LL-Q150 (fra)-GrandCelinien-saison.wav}}) or Uhaitz HandiaUhaits handia on the map of Cassini is a left tributary of the Gave d'Oloron river in the French Basque Country, (Pyrénées-Atlantiques), Southwest of France. Its general south to north direction provides the axis for the former French province of Soule. It is also known as the Gave de Mauléon. It is {{convert|72.2|km|mi|abbr=on}} long, including its upper courses Zurkaitzegiko erreka and Gave de Larrau.{{sandre|id=Q7--0250|nom=Le Saison}}
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
The Saison flows completely within the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department. The riverside towns are Tardets-Sorholus and Mauléon-Licharre.
Name
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2012}}
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 a contraction season with the former name Gaison, itself derived from the variant ugaitz of uhaitz.
Tributary names are also linguistically interesting, with two specific stems:
- Aphanize: name of tributaries from Montory (Aphanize) and from Haux (Aphanixe).x [X] 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 also represented.
Main tributaries
{{Columns-list|colwidth=22em|
- (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
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Commons category|Saison}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Rivers of Pyrénées-Atlantiques
Category:Rivers of Nouvelle-Aquitaine
{{France-river-stub}}