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Glite Dictionary
Geoffrey Chaucer

Geoffrey Chaucer

1 6.9
A poet from the 1300s in England best known for The Canterbury Tales
  • proper noun
  • /ˈdʒɛfri ˈtʃɔːsər/
: Geoffrey Chaucer
  • Many scholars consider Geoffrey Chaucer the father of English literature.

Examples

  • We studied poems by Geoffrey Chaucer in our medieval literature class.

  • Did Geoffrey Chaucer write in Middle English?

  • The language in Geoffrey Chaucer's works can be challenging for modern readers.

  • Many consider Geoffrey Chaucer the father of English literature.

  • Many scholars consider Geoffrey Chaucer the father of English literature.

  • The language in Geoffrey Chaucer's works can be challenging for modern readers.

  • We studied poems by Geoffrey Chaucer in our medieval literature class.

Synonyms

Chaucer
vsGeoffrey Chaucer
11 7.5

An English poet from the 1300s who wrote The Canterbury Tales

is the same historical poet but uses the full given name instead

Surface Forms

Geoffrey Chaucer main

Morphology

Geoffrey + Chaucer

This is a referential proper name formed from a given name plus a surname; if a learner knows that 'Chaucer' refers to an influential English poet, adding 'Geoffrey' simply identifies that same person. There is no idiomatic or metaphorical meaning to derive, so understanding follows directly from knowing the constituent name 'Chaucer' (though learners unfamiliar with that surname will not know the referent).

Etymology

Geoffrey Chaucer was an English writer in the 1300s who wrote The Canterbury Tales, a set of lively stories told by travelers on a journey to Canterbury. He used everyday English at a time when most books were written in Latin or French, so he helped make English a great language for stories and people call him the 'father of English literature'.