Eamon de Valera

1 9.3

An Irish political leader who helped write the 1937 constitution and served as prime minister and president of Ireland

proper noun
/ˈeɪmən dɛ vɑːˈlɛrə/

: Eamon de Valera

Eamon de Valera was instrumental in drafting the 1937 constitution, which established Ireland as a sovereign nation.

Examples

The 1937 Irish constitution was largely the work of Eamon de Valera.
Many historians debate the legacy of Eamon de Valera in twentieth-century Ireland.
Eamon de Valera played a crucial role in the development of modern Irish statehood.
Did Eamon de Valera serve as Taoiseach?
What were Eamon de Valera's contributions to the 1937 constitution?
Many people consider Eamon de Valera one of the most significant figures in Irish history.
As President of the Irish Free State, Eamon de Valera guided the country through a critical period of rebuilding.

Surface Forms

Eamon de Valera main

Morphology

Eamon + de + Valera

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person, so its meaning (an Irish statesman and political leader) is not compositionally derived from the parts. Knowing the constituents 'Eamon', 'de', and 'Valera' does not allow a B1 learner to infer the referent's role or biography, making the expression non-predictable from its parts.

Etymology

Eamon de Valera was a teacher who became a political leader and helped shape modern Ireland. He wrote much of the 1937 constitution and served for decades as head of government and later president, so his name now stands for a 'founding leader of modern Ireland'.