Skip to main content
Adolphe Sax

Adolphe Sax

1 8.5
A Belgian maker of musical instruments who invented the saxophone
  • proper noun
: Adolphe Sax
  • The saxophone was invented by Adolphe Sax in the 19th century.

Examples

  • Belgian inventor Adolphe Sax changed the course of modern music.

  • The Belgian inventor Adolphe Sax revolutionized music by creating the saxophone.

  • Many musicians appreciate the lasting impact of Adolphe Sax on jazz and classical music.

  • The famous inventor Adolphe Sax created the saxophone.

  • Did Adolphe Sax really invent the saxophone?

  • Many musicians celebrate Adolphe Sax for his contributions to jazz and classical music.

  • The iconic saxophone was first designed by Adolphe Sax during the 19th century.

Surface Forms

Morphology

Adolphe + Sax

This is a personal name (proper noun) rather than a compositional phrase; knowing the constituents 'Adolphe' and 'Sax' does not let a B1 learner infer the biographical fact that he invented the saxophone. Proper names do not follow regular semantic composition and require encyclopedic/world knowledge, so the meaning is not derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Adolphe Sax was a Belgian instrument maker in the 1800s who invented the saxophone. Because the instrument was named after him, Adolphe Sax now refers to the person who 'invented the saxophone'.