King James
1
5.6
- proper noun
- /kɪŋ dʒeɪmz/
- Informal
:
Rey James
- With his leadership, King James inspired his teammates to strive for greatness every game.
Examples
-
King James did another backflip.
Fiction book (2000) -
Nicknamed King James, he has won several prizes such as NBA Most Valuable Player, NBA Rookie of the Season, NBA All-Star, and four All-Defensive honors.
Blog text (18) -
Known as King James, LeBron James led his team to victory with an impressive performance.
-
Fans around the world celebrate King James for his incredible skills on the basketball court.
Surface Forms
Morphology
king + James
A B1 learner who knows 'king' and the name 'James' can reasonably infer this is an honorific nickname meaning a James who is king-like (i.e., highly dominant or esteemed), since using 'king' metaphorically to indicate top status is cross-linguistically common. However, identifying the precise referent (LeBron James) and the sports-specific connotations requires cultural/world knowledge, so the meaning is not fully predictable from the parts.
Etymology
The name King James is a nickname for the basketball player LeBron James. Fans and sports writers began using King before his surname James to show 'praise' for his great skill and leadership on the court, so the name means he is seen as a top player.