Low Countries
- proper noun
:
Países Bajos
- The Low Countries are characterized by their flat landscapes and extensive canal systems.
Examples
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In addition to travelers and merchants who had visited Amsterdam, thousands of English soldiers who had fought in the Dutch wars could tell of the international mix of refugees, merchants, scholars, and diplomats they had seen in the Low Countries.
Academic text (2010) -
France and the Low Countries also need a U.S. presence as a counterpoise to an independent Germany.
Academic text (1991) -
Germany and the Low Countries aren't much further south.
Blog text (1) -
The Low Countries, too, are socialist monarchies.
Academic text (1993) -
The Low Countries, including Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands, are known for their rich cultural history.
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Tourists flock to the Low Countries to experience their beautiful cities and vibrant art scene.
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase directly combines 'low' and 'countries', so a B1 learner who knows the words would likely infer it refers to countries of low elevation or low-lying lands. However, as a conventional proper name it specifically denotes the historical/geographical region (Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands), a fixed referent that is not fully predictable from the words alone, so the meaning is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Low Countries comes from the region's very low land by the North Sea. Low here means 'near or below sea level' and countries means the lands and people, so the name refers to the area now called Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
