View source for Neris

{{Short description|River in Lithuania and Belarus}}
{{For other uses|Neris (disambiguation)}}{{Redirect|Vilija|the given name|Vilija (given name)|the company|Vilija (company)}}
{{Infobox river
| name = Neris
| image = Neris_Vilnius_20201031.jpg
| image_caption = The Neris in [[Vilnius]], [[Lithuania]] from [[Žvėrynas]] Bridge
| map = Néris (rivière).png
| mapframe          = yes
| mapframe-zoom     = 5
| source1_location = [[Belarus]]
| mouth = [[Neman]]
| mouth_coordinates = {{coord|54|54|01|N|23|52|27|E|display=it|region:LT_type:waterbody}}
| progression = {{RNeman}}
| subdivision_type1 = Country
| subdivision_name1 = [[Belarus]], [[Lithuania]]
| subdivision_type2 = Cities
| subdivision_name2 = [[Vilnius]], [[Kaunas]]
| length = {{convert|510|km|mi|abbr=on}}
| source1_elevation = 
| discharge1_avg = {{convert|182|m3/s|cuft/s|abbr=on}}
| basin_size = {{convert|24942.3|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}
| tributaries_left   = [[Oksna (river)|Oksna]]
| extra              = 
}}

[[File:Belarus-Junction of Viliya and Narach Rivers-3.jpg|thumb|Confluence of the Viliya and [[Narach River|Narach]]: a conjectured reason for the dual naming of Neris]]
[[File:Gediminas Tower and ship in Neris River in Vilnius, Lithuania.jpg|thumb|Neris near [[Gediminas Tower]] in [[Vilnius]], Lithuania]]
[[File:Kaunas kunfluejo de Nemunas kaj Neris.jpg|thumb|Confluence of Neman and Neris in Kaunas]]
The river '''Neris''' ({{pronunciation|Lt-Neris.oga}}) or '''Vilija''' ({{langx|be|Ві́лія|translit=Vilija}}, {{langx|pl|Wilia}}) rises in northern [[Belarus]]. It flows westward, passing through [[Vilnius]] ([[Lithuania]]'s capital) and in the south-centre of that country it flows into the [[Nemunas]] (Neman) from the right bank, at [[Kaunas]], as its main tributary. Its length is {{convert|510|km|mi|abbr=on}}.

After passing through Belarus for {{convert|276|km|mi|abbr=on}},<ref name="statistics">{{cite web |url = http://landofancestors.com/travel/statistics/geography/237-main-characteristics-of-the-largest-rivers.html |title = Main Geographic Characteristics of the Republic of Belarus. Main characteristics of the largest rivers of Belarus |publisher = Data of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection of the Republic of Belarus. |year = 2011 |website = Land of Ancestors |access-date = 27 September 2013 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140115190617/http://landofancestors.com/travel/statistics/geography/237-main-characteristics-of-the-largest-rivers.html |archive-date = 15 January 2014 |url-status = dead }}</ref> the Neris flows through Lithuania for a further {{convert|235|km|mi|abbr=on}}.

The Neris connects successive Lithuanian capitals &ndash; [[Kernavė]] and [[Vilnius]]. Along its banks are the burial places of the [[Lithuanian mythology|pagan Lithuanians]]. At {{convert|25|km|mi|abbr=on}} from Vilnius there is are old [[Karmazinai Hillfort]] and {{ill|Karmazinai burial mound|lt|Karmazinų pilkapynas}}.

==Dual naming==

The reasons for the dual naming of the river as Neris by the Lithuanians and Viliya (formerly ''Velja'', meaning "big, great" in Slavic) by the Slavs are complex. Even in [[Vilnius]], there are [[toponym]]s including both names, e. g. ''Neris'' remains in the riverside names of ''[[Paneriai]]'' and ''Paneriškės'' while ''Velja'' is a part of the name ''Valakampiai'', which means "an angle of Velja" in Lithuanian.<ref name="Mysterious Neris">[[Vykintas Vaitkevičius]] [http://www.neriesparkas.lt/byla.php?id=17 Mysterious Neris], ''Šiaurės Atėnai''. 2005-07-23 nr. 758  {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722151803/http://www.neriesparkas.lt/byla.php?id=17 |date=July 22, 2011 }}</ref> In Kaunas, a part of the city by the Neris river, that was formerly a separate town, is also named [[Vilijampolė]] (Vilija + polis, that means "[[polis]] by Vilija").

Although it has been suggested that ''Neris'' is the primeval name of the river, while the name ''Viliya'' is of secondary extraction,<ref name=ZZ/> the dual naming most probably emerged from the confluence of the rivers Neris (now known as [[Narach River|Narač River]], leaving [[Lake Narač]]) and Velja, in the historical Slavic/Baltic borderland, each ethnos choosing their own name for the river starting at the confluence.<ref name="Mysterious Neris"/> It is moreover evidenced by the fact that the name ''Neris'' was never used to name the river Velja up to this confluence. Therefore, it has been proposed that the [[Narach River|Narač River]] had in fact been considered the upper reaches of Neris by the Balts in ancient times.<ref>S. Kolupaila, ''Narutis ir Neris'', ''Kosmos'', 1940, Nr. 1/3, p. 52</ref>

Some linguists, however, point to the fact, that Viliya in it upper part is not "big" or "great" at all and the name cognates with [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]] words [[Perkūnas#Perkūnas_and_Velnias|velnias]] and [[Lithuanian_mythology#Pantheon_of_Lithuanian_gods|vėlė]]. What is more, all the territory of upper Neris before the 12th c. was inhabited by the Balts, the archaeological {{ill|East Lithuanian Barrow Culture|lt|Rytų Lietuvos pilkapių kultūra}}.

===Etymology of "Neris"===
The name ''Neris'' is of [[Baltic languages|Baltic]] origin, a [[cognate]] of the Lithuanian ''nerti'' generally meaning "to dive, swim downstream" as well as "to net, [[crochet]]". It is likely that the name had a more general meaning of "flow"<ref name=ZZ>{{cite book | last = Zinkevičius | first = Zigmas | author-link = Zigmas Zinkevičius | title = Senosios Lietuvos valstybės vardynas | publisher = [[Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos institutas]] | year = 2007 | location = Vilnius | pages = 45 | isbn = 978-5-420-01606-0 }}</ref> or particularly "swift and swirling flow"<ref>V. Mažiulis, Prūsų kalbos etimologijos žodynas, L-P, V., 1996, t. 3, p. 178-179</ref> in early times.

Etymologically, the name is one of a class of [[hydronym]]s, widespread in the modern and prehistoric Baltic ranges; e.g., Lithuanian Narotis, Narasa (rivers), [[Lake Narach|Narutis]] (lake), Old Prussian [[Narew|Narus]], [[Nara (Oka)|Nara]] near [[Moscow]]. These are related to Lithuanian ''narus'', "deep", and ''nerti'', "to dive".

More remote connections are obscure, although the root is believed to be [[Proto-Indo-European language|Indo-European]]. There are a number of possibilities:

*[[Julius Pokorny|Pokorny]]'s 2nd ''*ner-'', "under" (''[[Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch]]'', pp765–766);
*Derksen's *{{lang|mis|nerH-}}, o-grade *{{lang|mis|norH-}} (''Slavic Inherited Lexicon'');
*A relation to the [[List of Greek deities|Greek god]] [[Nereus]], which may be from *''snau-'', "to give milk to", in the sense of "flow" (Partridge, ''Origins'' (1983)).
* Another relationship of "Neris" with the Sanskrit word "Neer"/"Naar" which means water.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}}

==Basin==
[[File:Neris Baseino plotas.png|thumb|The Neris drainage basin. Standing out are the river and its main tributary.  The latter rises near to [[Latvia]], the [[Šventoji River|Šventoji]]]]
The total watershed area is {{convert|25100|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}, {{convert|10920|km2|mi2|abbr=on}} of which are in [[Belarus]].<ref name="statistics" />

===Basin within Belarus===
The river is called Vilija in Belarus. Belarus's largest reservoir, [[Vileyka Reservoir]], is located by Vilija, near the [[Vileyka]] city.

====Right tributaries====
*[[Narach (river)|Narač]]
*[[Servač (Vilija)|Servač]]
*[[Stracha|Strača]]

====Left tributaries====
*[[Ilija (river)|Ilija]]
*[[Uša]]
*[[Ashmyanka|Ašmianka]]

===Basin within Lithuania===
The watershed within Lithuania is {{convert|13849|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}<ref name=vanduo>[http://vanduo.gamta.lt/cms/index?rubricId=d55a80cd-f222-4c28-90d9-656080f83834 Neries mažųjų intakų (su Nerimi) pabaseinis] (Basin small tributaries of Neris (including Neris))</ref>

====Tributaries====
*[[Verkė]]
*[[Vilnia]]
*[[Vokė]]
*[[Bražuolė]]
*[[Dūkšta]]
*[[Musė]]
*[[Laukysta]]
*[[Lomena]]
*[[Šventoji (Neris)|Šventoji]]
*[[Lokys (river)|Lokys]]
*[[Šešuva]]
*[[Saidė]]

==Notes and references==
{{Notelist}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Neris}}

{{Tributaries of the Neman}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Neris basin]]
[[Category:Rivers of Grodno region]]
[[Category:Rivers of Minsk region]]
[[Category:Rivers of Lithuania]]
[[Category:International rivers of Europe]]
[[Category:Belarus–Lithuania border]]
[[Category:Paneriai]]
[[Category:Rivers of Belarus]]