Saint Lawrence River

The story

1. Middle French · borrowed fromFleuve sainct Laurens
2. French · calque offleuve Saint-Laurent
3. English todaySaint Lawrence River

From Saint Lawrence + river. Calque of French fleuve Saint-Laurent. From Middle French Fleuve sainct Laurens. Named after Roman martyr Saint Lawrence. Coined by French explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1604. In turn named after the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, itself coined by another French explorer, Jacques Cartier, which lies at the mouth of the river. That bay was named for being discovered on the Feast Day of Saint Lawrence, 10 August 1535.