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Glite Dictionary
Ferdinand and Isabella

Ferdinand and Isabella

6.9
Married king and queen who ruled Spain in the late 1400s and sponsored Columbus's voyages
  • proper noun
translation icon : Fernando e Isabel
  • The legacy of Ferdinand and Isabella includes their support for exploration and the establishment of Spain as a significant European power.
  • Ferdinand and Isabella sponsored Columbus
  • Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella

Examples

  • The reign of Ferdinand and Isabella marked a significant turning point in Spanish history.

  • The voyages of Columbus were sponsored by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain.

  • Ferdinand and Isabella are famous for completing the Reconquista and uniting Spain under Christian rule.

  • Many historians debate the legacy of Ferdinand and Isabella in shaping modern Europe.

  • Did Ferdinand and Isabella really support Columbus's voyages?

  • In 1492, the Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella unified the country and sponsored Christopher Columbus's first voyage.

  • Ferdinand and Isabella ruled jointly over Spain and were instrumental in the unification efforts of the late 15th century.

Synonyms

Catholic Monarchs
vsFerdinand and Isabella
8.6

The Spanish rulers Ferdinand V and Isabella I who united Spain and promoted Catholicism

refers to the actual rulers and their actions rather than the formal title

Surface Forms

Ferdinand and Isabella main

Morphology

Ferdinand + and + Isabella

This is a referential phrase naming two specific historical persons; the constituents 'Ferdinand', 'and', 'Isabella' only signal two named individuals. The detailed meaning (that they were joint monarchs of Spain who unified the country and sponsored Columbus) is encyclopedic, not derivable from the parts, so a B1 learner who only knows the words would not infer this.

Etymology

Ferdinand and Isabella were the two rulers who married and ran Spain together at the end of the 1400s. They finished a long war, united the country, and paid for Columbus's voyage, so their names now stand for those specific monarchs and their 'shared rule'.