Bartholomeu Diaz

1 8.8

A Portuguese explorer who first sailed around the Cape of Good Hope in 1488, opening a sea route to Asia

proper noun

: Bartolomeu Díaz

In 1488, Bartholomeu Diaz became the first European to sail around the Cape of Good Hope.

Examples

Many historians credit Bartholomeu Diaz with helping to establish the sea route to Asia.
Bartholomeu Diaz was the first European to sail around the southern tip of Africa.
The voyage of Bartholomeu Diaz marked a turning point in maritime exploration.
Did Bartholomeu Diaz discover the sea route to India?
In 1488, Bartholomeu Diaz became the first European to sail around the Cape of Good Hope.
Many historians credit Bartholomeu Diaz with opening up the sea route from Europe to Asia.
The voyage of Bartholomeu Diaz significantly changed the course of maritime exploration.

Synonyms

Bartholomeu Dias

vsBartholomeu Diaz

1 7.9

A Portuguese sailor who first sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and opened a sea route to Asia

has identical meaning but uses the alternative spelling form

Surface Forms

Bartholomeu Diaz main

Morphology

Bartholomeu + Diaz

This is a personal name (a PROPN) rather than a compositional phrase; knowing the string parts 'Bartholomeu' and 'Diaz' gives no indication of the referent or the historical fact that he was a Portuguese explorer who rounded the Cape of Good Hope. Proper names are referential and require world knowledge or instruction rather than derivation from constituent meanings, so the expression is not transparent to learners.

Etymology

Bartholomeu Diaz was a Portuguese explorer who sailed around the southern tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, and showed that ships could reach Asia by sea. That's why his name is remembered for 'opening the sea route to Asia'.