Francis Ferdinand

1 7.3

An Austrian archduke whose 1914 killing helped start World War I

proper noun

: Francisco Fernando

The assassination of Francis Ferdinand is widely considered the immediate cause of World War I.

Examples

The assassination of Francis Ferdinand in 1914 sparked the beginning of World War I.
Before his death, Francis Ferdinand was the heir apparent to the Austro-Hungarian throne.
Many history books discuss the impact of Francis Ferdinand's death on Europe.
The assassination of Francis Ferdinand led to global conflict.
Did you know Francis Ferdinand was the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne?
Books on European history often explore the significance of Francis Ferdinand's murder.
As the heir apparent, Francis Ferdinand played a crucial role in the politics of Austria-Hungary.

Synonyms

Franz Ferdinand

vsFrancis Ferdinand

2 6.4

Archduke of Austria whose death in 1914 helped start World War I

is the English form of the same name used in translations

Surface Forms

Francis Ferdinand main

Morphology

Francis + Ferdinand

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; the literal constituents 'Francis' and 'Ferdinand' are personal names with no compositional meaning that would indicate his identity or the event. A B1 learner who knows the two names would not be able to infer the referent (Archduke whose assassination triggered WWI), so the expression is unpredictable from its parts.

Etymology

Francis Ferdinand was an archduke of Austria-Hungary who was killed in Sarajevo in 1914. He was shot while riding in an open car, and that killing is often called the event that 'started World War I', so his name is remembered as the cause of the war.