Henry IV

2 7.3

King of France from 1589 to 1610 who started the Bourbon family of kings and gave Protestants religious freedom

proper noun

: Enrique IV

The Edict of Nantes was issued by Henry IV to promote religious tolerance.

Examples

As king, Henry IV brought stability to France after years of turmoil.
Many historians regard Henry IV as one of France's most effective rulers.
Henry IV ruled France for over two decades.
Did Henry IV really grant religious freedom?
As king, Henry IV brought stability to France after years of turmoil.
Many historians regard Henry IV as one of France's most effective rulers.
The Edict of Nantes was issued by Henry IV to promote religious tolerance.

Surface Forms

Henry IV main

Morphology

Henry + IV

The combination 'Henry IV' transparently reads as 'Henry the Fourth' because 'Henry' is a name and 'IV' denotes the ordinal four, so a learner can infer it's the fourth person named Henry. However, the specific historical meaning (that he was King of France from 1589–1610 and founder of the Bourbon dynasty) is not derivable from the constituents alone, so the full referent requires prior knowledge.

Etymology

Henry IV is the name of a French king who ended years of religious war by choosing peace and by issuing the Edict of Nantes to protect Protestants. That's why he is remembered for 'stability' and 'religious freedom'.