Talk:Elbe

Length

The actual length of the Elbe is 1,091 km (1,165 is out of date). Please compare the german article. -- Fice, March 26, 2006.

It looks like there are many results for 1165 and 1091, I thought both measurements could be used -- Astrokey44|talk 23:06, 26 March 2006 (UTC)

navigation 1842 mean?

Whatever can "The Elbe has been navigable by commercial vessels since 1842" mean? --Pfold 14:30, 30 March 2006 (UTC)

Translated from German Wikipedia

If your German is fluent, a translation of German Wikipedia article Elbe would be a huge improvement here. This is an important river: it deserves full, deep coverage. --06:25, 20 April 2006 (UTC)

Sorbian and Polish name?

I wonder why the Polish and Sorbian names are mentioned. Both live quite a few miles away from the river? 84.181.94.136 08:27, 9 November 2006 (UTC)

Sorbs used to live as far west as Saale. Also, Drawehn name could be added. 37.190.156.25 (talk) 00:46, 6 March 2017 (UTC)

Well Germans used to live all over eastern europe, infact they created big parts of it before they were robbed. I think going by your logic it's only fair if we mention a German name for any river in eastern europe then, right? Yeah probably wouldn't fly with the radical leftists on here lol but still... 178.24.246.119 (talk) 14:47, 8 March 2023 (UTC)

Älv?

After looking at an Anglo-Saxon dictionary, I discovered that the Old English name for the Elbe was Elf, whereas the Latin name was Albus. This was interesting because both names go back to 'light': I believe such an etymology as Scandinavian älv for 'river' is inadequate - I prefer this version: Proto-Germanic *albhiz ('river of light' or 'dwelling of the Elf spirit' or 'sacred, worshipping river').

78.151.173.120 (talk) 11:59, 28 March 2008 (UTC)Albus comes from Lithuanian word for light or white 'baltus' and from that word originates 'balus/bale' which means a puddle/bog...from there Czeck word 'labe' and finaly 'elbe'.78.151.173.120 (talk) 11:59, 28 March 2008 (UTC)

translation

I have begun working on translating the German article on the Elbe which is a featured article. My work (which will probably be slow) can be found at my sandbox User:Jieagles/Sandbox. Please feel free to help by translating a section, checking the translation, copyediting, commenting, &c. Ill start integrating stuff once the translation is done. Jieagles (talk) 21:11, 30 November 2008 (UTC)

Adolf Hitlers ashes

The fringe theory on Hitlers ashes should not be included in this article. Inwind (talk) 21:38, 30 November 2008 (UTC)

Removed para on [widths|depths|?]

I have removed the following paragraph, added by an anonymous contributor to the 'In the Czech Republic' subsection:

In the canal of Brunsbüttel, the Elbe River is approximately 21 metres (69 ft), in Děčín, Czech Republic, the river is 4.3 metres (14 ft). In town of Festung Königstein, Germany, the river depth rising 12 metres (39 ft).

as:

1. Neither Brunsbüttel nor Festung Königstein are in the Czech Republic
2. Except for the last sentence, it is not clear what the measurements are (depth/width)
3. No source is cited

-- Starbois (talk) 15:25, 30 March 2009 (UTC)

In the Czech Republic

Surely, it is the Northeast of the Czech Republic in which the Elbe (Labe) originates, not the Northwest. Beowulf (talk) 03:27, 15 June 2013 (UTC)

navigation video

Have some timelapse videos from a boat travelling by Elbe here. Who want, copy to Wikimedia Commons! Макс Поршнев (talk) 11:57, 6 June 2016 (UTC)

Etymology

If Elbe is simply from the same source as Swedish älv etc., how come it became the name of such a huge river? Usually in Europe, when a river is called simply "river" or "water", it's either a very small one (Aa, Aach), or a borrowing (Úpa), or both (Avon). Also, the article about hydronyms says that the biggier the river, the older its name tends to be.

It's more likely that the exact "Elbe" form results from a semantic contamination / adideation / folk etymologization of the earlier name to the Germanic word. This original name has long been postulated to derive from something akin to Reconstruction:Proto-Celtic/albiyū (for want of better links at hand, 1 and mentions in 2). Since etymology is not, for objective reasons, an exact science, and the newer theories don't necessarily disprove the older ones, it would be good if someone included the traditional view, the way German Wikipedia does. 37.190.156.25 (talk) 00:38, 6 March 2017 (UTC)