Pepin III

9.9

King of the Franks who started a new royal family and was Charlemagne's father

proper noun

: Pepin III

Pepin III was crowned King of the Franks in 751, marking the start of the Carolingian dynasty.

Examples

The alliance between the papacy and Pepin III strengthened the position of both the French monarchy and the Church.
King Pepin III ruled the Franks from 751 until his death in 768.
As the father of Charlemagne, Pepin III played a crucial role in shaping medieval European history.
Did Pepin III support the Pope during his reign?
Pepin III was crowned King of the Franks in 751, marking the start of the Carolingian dynasty.
As the father of Charlemagne, Pepin III played a crucial role in shaping medieval European history.
King Pepin III ruled the Franks from 751 until his death in 768.

Synonyms

Pepin

vsPepin III

1 9.9

A king of the Franks from 751 to 768 who founded the Carolingian dynasty

uses a regnal number instead of the simple personal name

Pepin the Short

vsPepin III

1 8.5

A king of the Franks from 751 to 768 and father of Charlemagne

uses a regnal number rather than an epithet

Surface Forms

Pepin III main

Morphology

Pepin + III

This is partially transparent: the Roman numeral 'III' clearly signals 'the third', so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer it refers to a person named Pepin who is the third of that name. However, the historical-biographical content (that he was King of the Franks and father of Charlemagne) is not derivable from the proper name 'Pepin' itself, so the expression is not fully compositional.

Etymology

Pepin III was the Frankish ruler who became king in 751 after replacing the old royal family and being chosen and blessed by the pope. Because he started the new royal family called the Carolingians and was the 'father of Charlemagne', his name now stands for the start of that dynasty and the close tie between king and Church.