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Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway

1 6.1
The wife of William Shakespeare, the English writer of plays and poems
  • proper noun
: Ana Hathaway
  • William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582, and they lived together in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Examples

  • William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582.

  • Many historians have speculated about the marriage between Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway.

  • Little is known about Anne Hathaway apart from her marriage to the famous playwright.

  • The cottage of Anne Hathaway in Stratford-upon-Avon is a popular tourist destination.

  • Did Anne Hathaway live in Stratford-upon-Avon?

  • Little is known about Anne Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare, apart from her marriage to the famous playwright.

  • Many historians have speculated about the marriage between Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway, who was his wife.

Surface Forms

Morphology

Anne + Hathaway

This is a proper name referring to a specific person; knowing the individual constituents 'Anne' and 'Hathaway' (both personal name elements) does not let a learner infer the referent is an American film and stage actress. The meaning is lexicalized/world-knowledge dependent rather than compositionally derived from the parts, so it is not predictable for a B1 learner.

Etymology

Anne Hathaway was the woman William Shakespeare married long ago. Her little house in Stratford-upon-Avon is still a place people visit, so her name is remembered as 'Shakespeare's wife'.