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Glite Dictionary
Menai Strait

Menai Strait

7.3
A narrow stretch of water in northern Wales between Anglesey and the mainland
  • proper noun
translation icon : Estrecho de Menai
  • The Menai Strait separates Anglesey Island from mainland Wales.

Examples

  • Subsequent assignments included projects for the London and Birmingham Railway, the Chester Railway Station, and the Britannia Bridge across the Menai Strait.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Tourists often visit the Menai Strait to enjoy kayaking and sailing.

  • The Menai Strait is famous for its stunning views and strong tides.

Surface Forms

Menai Strait main

Morphology

Menai + strait

This is a place name composed of a proper noun ('Menai') plus the geographical noun 'strait'; even if the learner does not know 'Menai', the word 'strait' clearly signals a narrow sea channel, so the basic meaning is directly recoverable. Place-name + geographic-term constructions are cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows 'strait' will understand it denotes a narrow stretch of water (they may not know the exact location but will grasp the meaning).

Etymology

Menai Strait may come from old Welsh words meaning 'sea by Môn', with 'Môn' the Welsh name for Anglesey. So the name paints a clear picture: a narrow strip of water beside the island, which is exactly what the strait is today.