Cosna River (Alaska)

Cosna River
Cosna River (Alaska) is located in Alaska
Cosna River (Alaska)
Location of the mouth of the Cosna River in Alaska
Native nameK'osno' (Lower Tanana)
Location
CountryUnited States
StateAlaska
DistrictYukon–Koyukuk Census Area
Physical characteristics
SourceBitzshtini Mountains
 • coordinates64°24′34″N 152°00′31″W / 64.40944°N 152.00861°W / 64.40944; -152.00861[1]
 • elevation1,985 ft (605 m)[2]
MouthTanana River
 • location
32 miles (51 km) northeast of Bitzshtini Mountains
 • coordinates
64°51′16″N 151°21′55″W / 64.85444°N 151.36528°W / 64.85444; -151.36528[1]
 • elevation
249 ft (76 m)[1]
Length44 mi (71 km)[3]

The Cosna River[pronunciation?] (Lower Tanana: K'osno) is a 44-mile (71 km) tributary of the Tanana River in the central part of the U.S. state of Alaska.[3] It flows northward from the Bitzshtini Mountains into the Tanana west (downstream) of Manley Hot Springs.[4]

In 1899, Lieutenant J. S. Herron attributed the name to the Tanana peoples living in the area.[1] However, a century later linguist William Bright, citing the Koyukon Athabascan Dictionary, attributed the name to the Koyukon words kk' os, schist rock, combined with no', river.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Cosna River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. March 31, 1981. Retrieved October 20, 2013.
  2. ^ Derived by entering source coordinates in Google Earth.
  3. ^ a b Orth, Donald J.; United States Geological Survey (1971) [1967]. Dictionary of Alaska Place Names: Geological Survey Professional Paper 567 (PDF). University of Alaska Fairbanks. p. 240. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 17, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2013 – via United States Government Printing Office.
  4. ^ Alaska Atlas & Gazetteer (7th ed.). Yarmouth, Maine: DeLorme. 2010. pp. 112–13. ISBN 978-0-89933-289-5.
  5. ^ Bright, William (2004). Native American Place Names of the United States. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press. p. 123. ISBN 0-8061-3576-X.