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Glite Dictionary
Bougainville Island

Bougainville Island

6.3
A large island in Papua New Guinea and the largest in the Solomon Islands group
  • proper noun
translation icon : isla Bougainville
  • After years of unrest, Bougainville Island held a referendum on independence from Papua New Guinea.

Examples

  • The intense fighting on Bougainville Island during World War II left lasting scars on the region.

  • The biodiversity of Bougainville Island attracts researchers and nature enthusiasts from around the world.

  • I visited Bougainville Island last summer.

  • Have you ever been to Bougainville Island?

  • The biodiversity of Bougainville Island attracts researchers and nature enthusiasts from around the world.

  • After years of unrest, Bougainville Island held a referendum on independence from Papua New Guinea.

  • I visited Bougainville Island last summer.

Synonyms

Bougainville
vsBougainville Island
1 8.8

An island in the southwestern Pacific that is part of Papua New Guinea

refers only to the landmass without administrative status

Surface Forms

Bougainville Island main

Morphology

Bougainville + island

This is a compositional place name formed from a proper noun ('Bougainville') plus the generic noun 'island', so its meaning — the island called Bougainville — is directly recoverable from the parts. Such naming patterns are cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would understand it refers to that specific island.

Etymology

Bougainville Island is 'named after' the French explorer Bougainville, who sailed to the area in the 1700s. Explorers often put their own name on places they found, so the island's name today keeps his name.