# Why is a definite article used for rivers but not other bodies of water?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-definite-article-used-for-rivers-but-not-other-bodies-of-water/693422>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 18, 2014, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-definite-article-used-for-rivers-but-not-other-bodies-of-water/693422 "2014-07-18T03:49:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\
**Post date:** [July 19, 2014, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-a-definite-article-used-for-rivers-but-not-other-bodies-of-water/693422/41 "2014-07-19T23:36:43Z")

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What about bridges? Most of the world’s most famous bridges have “the”: The Golden Gate Bridge; the Severn Bridge; the Brooklyn Bridge; the Bridge of Sighs.

But in Dublin there are O’Connell Bridge, Samuel Beckett Bridge, Father Matthews Bridge; in London Westminster Bridge, Tower Bridge, Chelsea Bridge. The vast majority of bridges over the Liffey and Thames are never used with “the”. (There are a few exceptions, like the Millennium Bridge.)

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