Francoise d'Aubigne

9.9

French noblewoman who became the secret second wife and adviser of King Louis XIV

proper noun
/frɑːnˈswɑːz dɔːˈbɪn/

: Francoise d'Aubigne

As the second wife of King Louis XIV, Francoise d'Aubigne often advised on political matters.

Examples

Francoise d'Aubigne played a significant role in the court of Louis XIV as his wife and advisor.
Many letters from Francoise d'Aubigne provide insight into life at Versailles.
Historians debate how Francoise d'Aubigne influenced the king's policies.
The influential Francoise d'Aubigne shaped the court of Louis XIV.
Did Francoise d'Aubigne influence any of Louis XIV's policies?
Francoise d'Aubigne was married to King Louis XIV and played a key role in his court.
The letters of Francoise d'Aubigne reveal much about the lifestyle of the French court.

Synonyms

Maintenon

vsFrancoise d'Aubigne

1 9.9

A woman who secretly married King Louis XIV and influenced the French court

refers to the same person by her personal name

Marquise de Maintenon

vsFrancoise d'Aubigne

9.9

A woman who secretly married King Louis XIV of France after his first wife died

focuses on her background and noble title rather than official role

Surface Forms

Francoise d'Aubigne main

Morphology

Francoise + d'Aubigne

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; the referential meaning (a French noblewoman and wife of Louis XIV) cannot be derived from its constituent name parts. Personal names do not follow regular compositional semantics, so a B1 learner who only knows the name tokens would not infer the biographical meaning without prior cultural/historical knowledge.

Etymology

Francoise d'Aubigne was a French woman who, after a poor early life, quietly became King Louis XIV's 'secret wife' and close 'adviser', later known as the Marquise de Maintenon. Imagine a calm woman standing just behind the king's throne; that picture explains why she is remembered as having quiet but strong power at court.