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15 May Organization

15 May Organization

9.9
A Palestinian armed group active in the late 1970s and early 1980s
  • proper noun
translation icon : Organización 15 de mayo
  • The 15 May Organization was established in 1979.

Examples

  • Many members of the 15 May Organization later joined al-Fatah.

  • The 15 May Organization was responsible for several attacks during its brief existence in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

  • After the dissolution of the 15 May Organization, its members joined other Palestinian factions.

  • Historical accounts often mention the 15 May Organization when discussing militant groups in the Middle East.

  • After the dissolution of the 15 May Organization, its members joined other Palestinian factions.

  • Historical accounts often mention the 15 May Organization when discussing militant groups in the Middle East.

  • The 15 May Organization was responsible for several attacks during its brief existence in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Surface Forms

Morphology

fifteen + May + organization

The phrase literally combines a date ('15 May') with 'Organization', so a learner who knows the words can infer it is a group named for or associated with that date (e.g., founded on or commemorating May 15). However, the specific historical and political meaning (a Palestinian militant splinter group formed in 1979) is not derivable from the constituents, making the expression only partially transparent.

Etymology

15 May Organization took its name from the date 15 May, the day many Palestinians call the 'Nakba', when they remember losing land and homes in 1948. By using that date in its name, the group showed it stood for that event and the Palestinian struggle, which is why it was known as an armed organization.