Latin Quarter
1
5.5
- proper noun
:
Barrio Latino
- Walking through the cobblestone streets of the Latin Quarter, you can feel the artistic spirit of Paris.
Examples
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The Latin Quarter is famous for its vibrant student life and rich history in Paris.
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- There was the Latin Quarter...
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He knew his room in the hotel where he lived in the Latin Quarter and his way to the Sorbonne.
Academic text (2006) -
Many artists and thinkers have made their homes in the Latin Quarter for generations.
Synonyms
2
5.8
An area of Paris on the southern side of the Seine known for artists, writers, and cafes
The south bank of the Seine in Paris where cafes, bookshops, artists, and students gather
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase transparently combines 'Latin' (relating to the Latin language/culture) with 'quarter' (a district), so a B1 learner who knows the words could infer it denotes a neighbourhood associated with Latin or scholarly culture. However, as a proper place name with specific historical, cultural and locational details (the Paris district and its student/intellectual connotations) the full referential meaning and associations are not fully predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Latin Quarter comes from long ago in Paris, when students and teachers spoke Latin in that part of the city, or quarter. That's why today Latin Quarter means the area known for 'student life', artists, cafes and bookshops.