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Glite Dictionary
Antonine Wall

Antonine Wall

9.7
A Roman wall across central Scotland that marks the northern border of Roman Britain
  • noun
translation icon : Muro Antonino
  • The Antonine Wall was constructed by the Romans to protect their northern frontier in Britain.

Examples

  • The Antonine Wall was constructed by the Romans in 140 AD.

  • Many tourists visit the remains of the Antonine Wall each year to learn about Roman history.

  • Archaeologists have uncovered several forts along the route of the Antonine Wall.

  • Have you ever visited the Antonine Wall in Scotland?

  • The Antonine Wall was constructed to defend the Roman Empire from tribes in what is now Scotland.

  • Visitors can explore the ruins of forts along the Antonine Wall, which once marked the northern limit of Roman Britain.

  • Archaeologists uncovered artifacts near the Antonine Wall, revealing its significance in Roman military strategy.

Surface Forms

Antonine Wall singular
Antonine Walls plural

Morphology

Antonine + wall

The word 'wall' is transparent, so a learner who knows the constituents can infer this is a particular wall named 'Antonine' (i.e. a wall associated with someone or something called Antonine). However, 'Antonine' is a proper name/derivative unfamiliar in meaning and does not reveal the historical, Roman-frontier sense or location, so the full referential and cultural information is not derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Antonine Wall gets its name from the Roman emperor Antoninus, who ordered a long earth-and-stone wall across central Scotland to mark Rome's northern 'border'. So the name literally means 'the wall of Antoninus', which is why we still call that Roman frontier the Antonine Wall today.