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Glite Dictionary
Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde National Park

4.8
A national park in Colorado with well-preserved ancient cliff homes built by Native Americans
  • proper noun
  • /ˈmeɪsə ˈvɜrdə ˈnæʃənl pɑrk/
translation icon : Parque Nacional Mesa Verde
  • Wenger, S. R. 1976. Flowers of Mesa Verde National Park. Mesa Verde National Park, Colo.: Mesa Verde Museum Association.
  • Mesa Verde National Park, Colo.

Examples

  • Wenger, G. 1980. The Story of Mesa Verde National Park. Mesa Verde National Park, Colo.: Mesa Verde Museum Association.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Wenger, G. 1980. The Story of Mesa Verde National Park. Mesa Verde National Park, Colo.: Mesa Verde Museum Association.

    Academic text (1996)

  • The remnants of a number of these original pithouses exist today in Mesa Verde National Park.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Smith, D. A. 1988. Mesa Verde National Park: Shadows of the Centuries. Lawrence, Kan.: University of Kansas.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Watson, D. 1955. Indians of the Mesa Verde. Mesa Verde National Park, Colo.: Mesa Verde Museum Association.

    Academic text (1996)

  • The cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park provide a glimpse into the lives of the Ancestral Puebloans.

  • Visitors can take guided tours to learn about the history of Mesa Verde National Park and its ancient inhabitants.

  • Many hikers enjoy exploring the scenic trails and archaeological sites within Mesa Verde National Park.

Surface Forms

Mesa Verde National Park main

Morphology

mesa + Verde + national + park

The component 'national park' is fully compositional so a learner who knows 'national' and 'park' will understand it denotes a protected park. 'Mesa Verde' is a toponym of Spanish origin (literally ‘green mesa’) and could be partially interpretable if the learner knows those words, but the specific reference to a Colorado site with prehistoric cliff dwellings is not derivable from the parts. Because part of the meaning is transparent (the park status) but the culturally specific referent is not, this is best classified as semi-transparent.

Etymology

Mesa Verde National Park gets its name from the Spanish words mesa and verde, which mean 'green table' and make you picture flat, green hilltops. The park protects very old homes built into cliffs by people long ago, so the name helps you imagine those green plateaus above the famous cliff dwellings.