Running from Maridalsvannet to the Oslofjord, this fast-flowing river was once the centre of Oslo's industry and then, until the late 20th century, abandoned and unloved. Today it's one of the city's favourite places to relax, an 8km swath of forested rapids, waterfalls, running tracks, picnic grounds, swimming holes and fishing spots. The crashing falls at Beier Bridge are an inner-urban wonder.
Running from Maridalsvannet to the Oslofjord, this fast-flowing river was once the centre of Oslo's industry and then, until the late 20th century, abandoned and unloved. Today it's one of the city's favourite places to relax, an 8km swath of forested rapids, waterfalls, running tracks, picnic grounds, swimming holes and fishing spots. The crashing falls at Beier Bridge are an inner-urban wonder.
The first element is the genitive case of Aker, the name of the old farm and churchsite that has named several places in Oslo. The last element is the finite form of the noun elv ('river').
The river is considered to be the border between the eastern and the western part of Oslo. In the eastern part people treat the word elv as a feminine noun, so they say elva ('the river'). The westside dialect is influenced by Danish (considered a more appropriate language during the union with Denmark), where the feminine and masculine genders have merged into a common gender inflected like Norwegian masculine nouns. Therefore, people in the western part often treat elv as a masculine noun, causing them to say elven ('the river').
The Old Norse name of the river was Frysja, and this old name has been revived as the name of a neighborhood along the river. The name is probably derived from the verb frusa 'froth', referring to the many waterfalls in the river.