James Naismith

1 5.4

A Canadian teacher and doctor who invented the game of basketball

proper noun
/ˈdʒeɪmz ˈneɪsmɪθ/

: James Naismith

James Naismith invented basketball in 1891 while working as a physical education instructor.

Examples

The game of basketball was invented by James Naismith.
Many basketball halls of fame honor James Naismith as the game's creator.
The legacy of James Naismith lives on in the sport of basketball worldwide.
Did James Naismith really create basketball in 1891?
James Naismith invented basketball in 1891 while working as a physical education instructor.
Many basketball halls of fame honor James Naismith as the game's creator.
The legacy of James Naismith lives on in the sport of basketball worldwide.

Synonyms

Naismith

vsJames Naismith

2 7.9

A Canadian teacher who invented the game of basketball

uses dual nationality and notes a medical profession rather than birthplace

Surface Forms

James Naismith main

Morphology

James + Naismith

This is a personal name (a referent), so knowing the constituent words 'James' and 'Naismith' does not allow a B1 learner to infer the biographical fact that he invented basketball. Proper names are arbitrary referents rather than compositional meanings, so the expression's meaning requires world knowledge or prior exposure.

Etymology

James Naismith was a gym teacher who wanted a safe game to play inside, so he hung a peach basket on a wall and wrote simple rules in 1891. Because he created that game, his name is remembered as the person who 'invented' 'basketball'.