{{Wikisource1911Enc|Aa}}

'''Aa''' is the [[name]] of a large number of small [[Europe|European]] [[river]]s. The word is derived from the continental common [[Germanic languages|Germanic]] word ''aha'', cognate to the [[Latin]] ''[[aqua]]'', meaning [[water]]. The following are the more important streams of this name: Two rivers in [[Latvia]], both falling into the [[Gulf of Riga]], near [[Riga]], which is situated between them; a river in the north of [[France]], falling into the sea below [[Gravelines]], and navigable as far as [[St Omer]]; and a river of [[Switzerland]], in the cantons of [[Lucerne]] and [[Aargau]], which carries the waters of Lakes Baldegger and Hallwiler into the [[Aar]]. In [[Germany]] there are the [[Westphalian Aa]], rising in the [[Teutoburger Wald]], and joining the [[Werre]] at [[Herford]], the [[Münster Aa]], a tributary of the [[Ems (river)|Ems]], and others.

In [[Danish language|Danish]], ''Aa'' was the generic word for 'river'. It consisted of the [[digraph (orthography)|digraph]] letter ''aa'' which, since the mid-20^th century, has been written as ''[[å]]''. The [[Old English language|Anglo-Saxon]] form of the word was ''ea'', which is nowadays written as ''eau'' but persists only in river names. That persistence occurs principally in areas of [[England]] which were influenced by Danish culture. In [[Swedish language|Swedish]], closely related to Danish, the form ''å'' (never ''Aa'') has always been a generic word for a small river, such as the [[Fyris|Fyrisån]], while the word ''älv'' has been used for larger rivers, such as [[Dalälven]].

'''Aa River''' may refer to:
*[[Aa River (France)]], in the north of France
*[[Aabach (Greifensee)]], river in Switzerland
*[[Aabach (Afte)]], river in Germany, a tributary of the Afte River
*[[Lielupe]] (German: ''Kurländische Aa''), river in Latvia
*[[Gauja]] (German: ''Livländische Aa''), river in Latvia

*The [[Sarner Aa]] river in Switzerland
*The [[Engelberger Aa]] river in Switzerland
*The [[Westfälische Aa]] river in the Westphalia region of Germany
*The [[Münstersche Aa]] river in the Münster region of Germany
*The [[Great Aa]] (Große Aa) river in Germany
*in the [[Netherlands]] and [[Belgium]]:
**Aa, a river in [[Antwerp (province)|Antwerp]], and joining the [[Kleine Nete]] at [[Grobbendonk]].
**[[Drentse Aa]], a small river in the [[Drenthe]] and [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]] provinces that also flows through [[Groningen (city)|Groningen]] city.
**[[Aa River (Meuse)]], flowing through Helmond and 's-Hertogenbosch.
**Aa or Weerijs, also in [[Noord-Brabant]], a small river near [[Breda (Netherlands)|Breda]], rising at [[Wuustwezel]], Belgium, joint by the Kleine Aa, rising at [[Brecht]], Belgium.
**several small rivers and canals in [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]] province, such as Pekel Aa, Ruiten Aa, Mussel Aa.

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[[de:Liste der Gewässer mit Aa]]
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[[ga:Aa (abhainn)]]
[[nl:Aa (waternaam)]]
[[sv:Å (vattendrag)]]
[[tl:Ilog Aa]]
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