Lawrence of Arabia

9 7.7

A British officer who leads the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Turks in World War I

proper noun
/ˈlɔːrəns əv əˈræbiə/

: Lawrence de Arabia

There's a, there's this great moment in the movie Lawrence of Arabia where he's burning matches until they get down to his fingertips.
Lawrence of Arabia

Examples

In his book, the author explores the character and adventures of Lawrence of Arabia.
Many historians consider Lawrence of Arabia to be a significant figure in the Arab revolt.
The film Lawrence of Arabia portrays the life of T. E. Lawrence during World War I.

Synonyms

T. E. Lawrence

vsLawrence of Arabia

1 8.2

A British army officer, archaeologist, and writer known for leading the Arab Revolt during World War I

is the more famous epithet used instead of that abbreviated form

Thomas Edward Lawrence

vsLawrence of Arabia

1 8.9

A Welsh soldier, scholar, and writer who helped lead the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I

is the popularly used epithet rather than the full formal identity

Surface Forms

Lawrence of Arabia main

Morphology

Lawrence + of + Arabia

The phrase literally combines a personal name with a location marker ('Lawrence' + 'of' + 'Arabia'), so a B1 learner who knows the words would readily infer it refers to a person associated with Arabia. However, recognizing it as the specific historical nickname for T. E. Lawrence and understanding the biographical significance requires cultural/historical knowledge beyond the constituent meanings, so it is not fully transparent.

Etymology

Lawrence of Arabia is the name given to T. E. Lawrence, a British officer who lived with and helped Arab fighters in the desert during World War I. Because he often wore local clothes and helped lead fights in the desert, people began to call him 'Lawrence of Arabia', and today the name is the common 'nickname' for that famous man.