érág

Érág is a Hungarian hydrological term used to describe a branch of a river or stream that splits from the main channel and carries water along its own course. In river networks, an érág can function similarly to a distributary, diverging from the main stem to flow toward a basin, lake, or delta, and it may either rejoin the main channel further downstream or terminate in a separate body of water.

Etymology

The word érág comes from ér, meaning river or stream, and ág, meaning branch. The term thus literally denotes a branch of a stream or river.

Usage and context

Érág is primarily found in Hungarian-language geographic and hydrological literature and on maps. Its use highlights the branched nature of river systems, particularly in deltaic or braided environments where water divides into multiple channels. When translated into English, the concept is typically described using terms such as distributary or fork, depending on whether the branch carries water away from or later rejoins the main channel.

Relation to related concepts

Érág is related to several river-network concepts, including tributary (a branch that feeds the main river) and distributary (a branch that flows away from the main river). It is also associated with bifurcation and deltaic processes that create multiple channel paths in a landscape.

See also

River, tributary, distributary, bifurcation, delta.