Târnava

Târnava
Küküllő, Kokel
Târnava; Küküllő, Kokel
Location
Country	Romania
Counties	Alba County
Physical characteristics
Source	Confluence of the Târnava Mare and the Târnava Mică
• location	Blaj, Romania
• coordinates	46°10′18″N 23°53′35″E / 46.17167°N 23.89306°E
Mouth	Mureș
• location	Teiuș, Romania
• coordinates	46°9′16″N 23°41′56″E / 46.15444°N 23.69889°E
Length	23 km (14 mi)
Basin size	6,253 km2 (2,414 sq mi)
Discharge
• average	25 m3/s (880 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Progression	Mureș→ Tisza→ Danube→ Black Sea
Tributaries
• left	Târnava Mare, Secaș
• right	Târnava Mică, Dunărița

The Târnava (full name in Romanian: Râul Târnava; Hungarian: Küküllő; German: Kokel; Turkish: Kokul or Kokulu) is a river in Romania^[1]^[2]. It is formed by the confluence of the Târnava Mare and Târnava Mică in the town of Blaj. The Târnava flows into the Mureș after 23 km^[2]^[3] near the town of Teiuș. The two source rivers of the Târnava are the Târnava Mare and Târnava Mică, and its tributaries include the Tur, Izvorul Iezerului, Secaș, and the Dunărița^[2]. Its drainage basin covers an area of 6,253 km² (2,414 sq mi)^[2].^[4]^: 22

Etymology

The name Târnava is of Slavic origin from trn,^[5] meaning "thorn".

Other proposed origins for the river's Romanian name is Turn (tower) + dav from Dacian dava (structure/fortress), i.e. "the river that flows amongst towers and davas^{[citation needed]}"; or a reference to the Romanian city of Turda, forming Tur + ava from dava^{[citation needed]}.

Trn (thorn) is used by Slavic peoples in the Balkans, Czechia and Slovakia, but the 60% R1a Slavs (Poles, Belarusians, Russians) say syp/ship^{[citation needed]}^{[weasel words]}.

The Hungarian name Küküllő is of Old Turkic origin from kukel meaning sloe, and is thought to have originated from the Avar people^{[citation needed]}.

Etymological origins of the Târnava river.