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Glite Dictionary
Louis VIII

Louis VIII

1 7.9
King of France from 1223 to 1226 who strengthened royal power over great lords
  • proper noun
: Luis VIII
  • Louis VIII ascended to the French throne in 1223 after the death of his father, Philip II.

Examples

  • During his short reign, Louis VIII worked to diminish the power of the great lords and strengthen the monarchy.

  • In 1223, Louis VIII succeeded his father Philip II and began to strengthen the French crown.

  • The policies of Louis VIII laid the groundwork for his son, Louis IX, to become a powerful ruler.

  • King Louis VIII ruled France during a pivotal period.

  • Did Louis VIII effectively consolidate power in France?

  • Louis VIII became king in 1223 and focused on strengthening royal authority over feudal lords.

  • Louis VIII's reign from 1223 to 1226 was marked by efforts to centralize power within the monarchy.

Surface Forms

Louis VIII main

Morphology

Louis + VIII

The Roman numeral VIII clearly signals 'the eighth' and when combined with a personal name it conventionally denotes a regnal ordinal, so a learner who knows the constituents can infer 'Louis the Eighth' and that this refers to a historical ruler. However, the specific identity, role (King of France) and dates are encyclopedic facts not recoverable from 'Louis' + 'VIII' alone, so the meaning is only partially derivable.

Etymology

Louis VIII is a name and a number: Louis is his name and VIII is the Roman number for eight, so imagine the eighth king named Louis wearing a crown with eight points to remember him. He ruled France from 1223 to 1226 and worked to weaken the great lords and make the king's power stronger.