Hasdrubal Barca

1 9.9

A Carthaginian general who led an army in Spain, joined Hannibal in Italy, and died at the Metaurus River

proper noun

: Hasdrúbal Barca

The defeat and death of Hasdrubal Barca at the Metaurus River was a turning point in the Second Punic War.

Examples

Hasdrubal Barca led Carthaginian forces in Spain before marching to join Hannibal in Italy.
Many historians compare the tactics of Hasdrubal Barca to those of his more famous brother, Hannibal.
Hasdrubal Barca fought bravely.
What did Hasdrubal Barca achieve?
Hasdrubal Barca commanded the Carthaginian army in Spain before he attempted to rendezvous with Hannibal in Italy.
The strategies employed by Hasdrubal Barca during the battle were notable for their effectiveness against Roman forces.
Hasdrubal Barca was ultimately defeated and killed at the Battle of Metaurus River, marking a significant moment in the Punic Wars.

Surface Forms

Hasdrubal Barca main

Morphology

Hasdrubal + Barca

This is a proper name denoting a historical person; the constituents are not interpretable lexical items in English and do not compose to convey the meaning 'a Carthaginian general'. Personal names are arbitrary labels cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows the parts (or sees them as unknown) would not be able to infer the referent or historical information from the form alone.

Etymology

Hasdrubal Barca was a general from the ancient city of Carthage in North Africa who marched from Spain to try to join his brother Hannibal in Italy. His family name Barca may come from a word for 'lightning', a sharp image that helps you remember him as the bold brother who was killed at the Metaurus River.