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Glite Dictionary
King Ferdinand

King Ferdinand

7.2
The king of Castile and Aragon who united Spain with Queen Isabella and sent Columbus to the Americas
  • proper noun
translation icon : Rey Fernando
  • King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella welcomed Columbus in 1493 after his first voyage to the Americas.
  • King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
  • Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand

Examples

  • Narrator C: Christopher Columbus spends years trying to convince European royalty—especially Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain—to finance his voyage.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • In 1492, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella sponsored Christopher Columbus in his expedition across the Atlantic.

  • Queen Isabella: King Ferdinand and I have changed our minds.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • Queen Isabella: I'm sorry, but King Ferdinand will not allow me to finance such a foolish journey.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • The marriage of King Ferdinand and Isabella I strengthened political ties and helped unite Spain in the late 15th century.

  • King Ferdinand, who ruled alongside Isabella I, played a crucial role in the establishment of the Spanish Inquisition.

Synonyms

Ferdinand
vsKing Ferdinand
16 7.7

A Spanish king who ruled with Queen Isabella and helped pay for Columbus's voyage

omits the inquisition detail and uses a briefer reference instead
Ferdinand II of Aragon
vsKing Ferdinand
7.9

King of Aragon who, with his wife Isabella, united most of Spain and helped fund Columbus's 1492 voyage

is referred to in a shorter, less formal way without titles or dates
Ferdinand V
vsKing Ferdinand
8.6

King of Castile and Aragon who ruled with Isabella and helped unite Spain

is used more simply without numeric titles or detailed lists
Ferdinand of Aragon
vsKing Ferdinand
9.4

A king of Aragon and Castile who united Spain with his wife Isabella I

focuses on the main facts without stressing the Reconquista detail
Ferdinand the Catholic
vsKing Ferdinand
9.2

King of Castile and Aragon who ruled with Isabella and helped unite Spain

is the same person but often named informally or shortened

Surface Forms

King Ferdinand main

Morphology

king + Ferdinand

The phrase is literally composed of 'king' + the proper name 'Ferdinand', so a B1 learner who knows the words will understand it denotes a king called Ferdinand. However, the specific historical identity and actions (uniting Spain, supporting Columbus, instituting the Inquisition) are world-knowledge items not derivable from the constituents, so full meaning requires prior exposure.

Etymology

King Ferdinand refers to Ferdinand II of Aragon, the king who married Isabella and helped join Castile and Aragon into a single Spain. He backed Columbus's 1492 voyage and helped start the Spanish Inquisition, so King Ferdinand usually means that 'ruler' from the late 1400s who helped create a united Spain.