Catherine de' Medici
1
7.8
- proper noun
- Historians still debate the legacy of Catherine de' Medici and her role in the French Wars of Religion.
Examples
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As regent, Catherine de' Medici played a crucial role in shaping French politics during the Renaissance.
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Queen Catherine de' Medici was a powerful figure in French history.
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During her regency, Catherine de' Medici helped maintain the power of the French monarchy.
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Many believe Catherine de' Medici was a master of political intrigue in Renaissance France.
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Did Catherine de' Medici influence the French Renaissance?
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Queen Catherine de' Medici's decisions significantly impacted the course of French history in the 16th century.
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Many artists and writers flourished under the patronage of Catherine de' Medici during her reign in France.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A queen of France who ruled for her son and influenced French politics in the 1500s
Surface Forms
Morphology
Catherine + de' + Medici
This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; the referential identity and role (Queen of France, regent, Renaissance political influence) cannot be derived from the lexical parts. Even if a learner recognizes 'de'' as a family/locative particle or 'Medici' as a family name, those constituents do not allow a B1 learner to infer the person's identity or historical role, so the expression is not compositionally transparent.
Etymology
Catherine de' Medici was an Italian noble who married the King of France and, when her husband died, ruled the country for her young sons. She used family ties, royal marriages, and big court events to keep power, so her name now makes people think of a woman who 'influenced' French politics in the 1500s.