Dwight L. Moody

1 9.3

An American Christian preacher and publisher who led religious meetings in the late 1800s

proper noun
/dwaɪt ɛl ˈmuːdi/

: Dwight L. Moody

Dwight L. Moody was a leading figure in the American revivalist movement of the nineteenth century.

Examples

The famous evangelist Dwight L. Moody preached to thousands.
The teachings of Dwight L. Moody influenced many modern evangelical leaders.
Many schools and institutions were named after Dwight L. Moody in recognition of his work.
Did Dwight L. Moody found any schools?
Dwight L. Moody was a leading figure in the American revivalist movement of the nineteenth century.
Many schools and institutions were named after Dwight L. Moody in recognition of his work.
The teachings of Dwight L. Moody influenced many modern evangelical leaders.

Surface Forms

Dwight L. Moody main

Morphology

Dwight + L. + Moody

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person, so its meaning is referential/encyclopedic rather than compositional. A B1 learner who knows the constituent tokens 'Dwight', 'L.' and 'Moody' would not be able to infer that the phrase names an American evangelist and publisher, so the expression is not derivable from its parts.

Etymology

Dwight L. Moody was a famous American preacher in the late 1800s who travelled the country, giving loud, simple talks and holding very large outdoor meetings. Because he also started schools and published books, his name is remembered and used by many churches and schools as a sign of 'evangelism' and religious teaching.