Mary I
- proper noun
- During her reign, Mary I became infamous for her persecution of Protestants, earning the nickname Bloody Mary.
Examples
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Queen Mary I reigned over England from 1553 to 1558 and is known for her efforts to restore Roman Catholicism.
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Queen Mary I, queen of England and Elizabeth's half-sister.
Fiction book (1999) -
The Parliament of Mary I repealed it.
Blog text (31) -
The historical figure Mary I was the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.
Synonyms
Queen Mary I of England who tried to make the country Catholic and had Protestants killed
A queen of England from 1553 to 1558 who tried to make the country Catholic and punished Protestants
Queen of England from 1553 to 1558 who brought back the Catholic religion and had many Protestants executed
Surface Forms
Morphology
Mary + I
This is a proper name where 'I' functions as a regnal numeral (Mary the First) rather than the pronoun; knowing the name 'Mary' and the word 'I' does not allow a B1 learner to infer the historical reference or role as Queen of England. Regnal numbering and specific biographical information are world-knowledge conventions rather than compositional meanings, so the MWE's sense is not derivable from its parts.
Etymology
Mary I shows she was the first English queen named Mary and the daughter of Henry VIII. She tried to bring England back to the Catholic faith and had many Protestants killed for their beliefs, so people remember her by the nickname 'Bloody Mary' and use Mary I to mean that particular queen.