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Glite Dictionary
Pierre Abelard

Pierre Abelard

9.9
A French thinker and teacher from the 12th century known for his books and his romance with Heloise
  • proper noun
: Pedro Abelardo
  • Pierre Abelard was a prominent thinker in the early development of scholastic philosophy.

Examples

  • The tragic romance between Heloise and Pierre Abelard remains famous in medieval literature.

  • Many universities still study the works of Pierre Abelard and his contributions to logic and theology.

  • The works of Pierre Abelard are still studied today.

  • Did Pierre Abelard influence modern philosophy?

  • Pierre Abelard is often regarded as one of the most significant figures in the history of medieval philosophy.

  • The teachings of Pierre Abelard continue to inspire students of theology around the world.

  • In his correspondence with Heloise, Pierre Abelard expressed deep philosophical and personal reflections.

Surface Forms

Pierre Abelard main

Morphology

Pierre + Abelard

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; knowing the constituent names 'Pierre' and 'Abelard' does not allow a learner to infer the biographical meaning (French philosopher and theologian). Proper nouns are referent-specific and require encyclopedic knowledge rather than compositional word knowledge, so the meaning is not derivable by a B1 learner from the parts alone.

Etymology

Pierre Abelard was a real 12th-century French thinker and teacher known for his sharp, clever arguments in class. He also had a tragic love story with his student Heloise, and that mix of bold ideas and famous 'romance' is why his name is still remembered today.