Big Sur
1
5.1
- proper noun
- /bɪɡ sɜr/
:
Big Sur
- A Big Sur trip will take you from the Carmel coast all the way down Highway 1 to San Simeon.
- Esalen Institute in Big Sur
- Big Sur and Monterey
- Big Sur, California
Examples
-
If you're looking for some kind of spiritual experience, driving on Route 1 through Big Sur on the way to San Francisco is a good place to start.
Blog text (10) -
Further along, you will come to Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.
Blog text (27) -
An RV trip to Big Sur should be at the top of your list.
Blog text (27) -
Traveling on an RV vacation to Big Sur, California, is an amazing experience.
Blog text (27) -
More hiking trails in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park include the Valley View Trail (two miles round trip), Oak Grove Trail (three miles round trip), and Buzzard's Roost (4.8 miles round trip).
Blog text (27) -
A drive along the coast of Big Sur offers breathtaking views of the ocean and cliffs.
-
Visitors flock to Big Sur for its stunning landscapes and hiking trails.
-
The rugged coastline of Big Sur is famous for its dramatic scenery and natural beauty.
Surface Forms
Morphology
big + Sur
Big Sur is a proper name formed from English 'big' plus Spanish 'sur' (south); if a learner knew both constituents they could plausibly infer it denotes a large southern place, giving a partial clue to its referential status. However the specific sense 'a scenic central California coastal region' is an idiosyncratic geographic name that cannot be fully derived from the parts, so the expression is only partly transparent to learners.
Etymology
Big Sur may come from the old Spanish name 'el sur grande', which means 'big south' and was used by early Spanish speakers to describe the large, wild land south of the towns. So today Big Sur is the name for that rugged, beautiful stretch of California coast.