Francis Hopkinson

1 9.1

An American leader who signed the Declaration of Independence

proper noun
/ˈfrænsɪs ˈhɒpɪŋkən/

: Francis Hopkinson

The famous patriot Francis Hopkinson signed the Declaration of Independence.

Examples

Many historians recognize Francis Hopkinson as a key contributor to the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Francis Hopkinson played an important role in drafting patriotic symbols during the American Revolution.
The legacy of Francis Hopkinson lives on in the institutions he helped to shape.
Did Francis Hopkinson contribute to the arts as well?
Francis Hopkinson was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, demonstrating his influence during the American Revolution.
Many recognize Francis Hopkinson for his contribution as a patriotic leader and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Francis Hopkinson played a crucial role in the American Revolution and is remembered for signing the Declaration of Independence.

Surface Forms

Francis Hopkinson main

Morphology

Francis + Hopkinson

This is a personal name (proper noun); knowing the constituent tokens 'Francis' and 'Hopkinson' — which carry no compositional lexical meaning here — does not allow a learner to infer the referent’s historical role as an 18th-century American Revolutionary leader and signer. Proper names are referential and require specific world knowledge, so the meaning is not derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Francis Hopkinson was an American revolutionary who helped design patriotic symbols and was a 'signer of the Declaration of Independence'. Think of him as a creative patriot who drew early flags and seals and also signed important papers, so his name is linked to the founding of the United States.