The rise of a river

[WaltzingMatilda]

G'day,
When speaking of the location where a river begins, it is said to "rise" from that place. For example, Wikipedia tells me that the Lachlan river rises on the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in the Southern Tablelands district of New South Wales.
So, I get that "rises" refers to the source or the headwater of the river, but I'm curious to know: how did that use of "rise" come about? Is the word also referring to anything ascending or going up?
Cheers,
WM.

[rcaffin]

Just guessing, but maybe it originates from the way some rivers in the UK started at springs which rose up out of the ground. This would apply in particular to limestone territory.

Cheers
Roger

[peregrinator]

My dictionary has 25 meanings for the word rise. No.20 is to originate, begin, spring up.

Consider also the synonym arise.

[WaltzingMatilda]

Ah, that's interesting, thanks!
WM.

[Warin]

I have been to the start of the Murry Rv. and it does indeed rise up out of the ground...

[north-north-west]

I have been to the start of the Murry Rv. and it does indeed rise up out of the ground...

Technically, that''s not really the source of the Murray.
The "source" is generally considered to be the longest branch which, for the Murray, would probably be Limestone Creek. The spring near Cowombat only gets refered to as such because the terms of the border survey said " ... to the nearest source ... " (my emphasis).