Emile Zola

1 7.6

A French novelist known for defending Alfred Dreyfus and leading a style of realistic fiction

proper noun
/eɪˈmiːl ˈzoʊlə/

: Emile Zola

Emile Zola wrote the famous open letter 'J'accuse' in defense of Alfred Dreyfus.

Examples

Many regard Emile Zola as one of the leading figures in the naturalist movement.
The works of Emile Zola are still studied today.
The political courage of Emile Zola has inspired activists around the world.
Did you read Emile Zola's novels in school?
Emile Zola is celebrated for his influential contributions to the naturalist literary movement.
In his open letter 'J'accuse', Emile Zola bravely defended the injustice faced by Alfred Dreyfus.
The impactful writings of Emile Zola continue to resonate with readers and scholars today.

Surface Forms

Emile Zola main

Morphology

Emile + Zola

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical individual; knowing the constituent tokens 'Emile' and 'Zola' (which are simply names) does not allow a learner to infer the biographical meaning 'French novelist and critic.' Proper nouns require encyclopedic or cultural knowledge rather than compositional derivation, so the expression is opaque to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Emile Zola is a French writer who became famous for a bold open letter called 'J'accuse' in 1898, where he publicly defended Alfred Dreyfus and accused the army of a crime. That's why people remember him as a brave defender of justice and a leader of the naturalist style in literature.