Robert Falcon Scott

1 6.8

An English explorer who led an expedition to the South Pole and died on the return journey

proper noun

: Robert Falcon Scott

Robert Falcon Scott is remembered for his tragic expedition to the South Pole.

Examples

Many books have been written about the Antarctic adventures of Robert Falcon Scott.
The bravery of Robert Falcon Scott and his crew continues to inspire explorers today.
Robert Falcon Scott was a brave explorer.
What challenges did Robert Falcon Scott face during his expeditions?
Robert Falcon Scott is remembered for his tragic expedition to the South Pole.
Many books have been written about the Antarctic adventures of Robert Falcon Scott.
The bravery of Robert Falcon Scott and his crew continues to inspire explorers today.

Surface Forms

Robert Falcon Scott main

Morphology

Robert + Falcon + Scott

This is a personal name (a proper noun) referring to a specific historical individual; knowing the literal words 'Robert', 'Falcon', and 'Scott' does not allow a learner to infer his biographical role as an Antarctic explorer. Proper names are arbitrary labels rather than compositional phrases, so the meaning (that he led expeditions and died on return) is not derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Robert Falcon Scott was an English explorer who led a famous but sad expedition to the South Pole in the early 1900s. He reached the pole just after Amundsen and then died with his team on the way back, so his name often brings to mind brave exploration and a tragic ending.