Rock Island

4.6

A city in northwest Illinois on the Mississippi River known for its Union prison during the Civil War

proper noun
/rɑk ˈaɪlənd/

: Rock Island

The Union prison in Rock Island housed thousands of Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.

Examples

My grandfather grew up in Rock Island and often shared stories about the old riverfront.
I visited Rock Island last summer.
After visiting Chicago, we drove along the Mississippi to explore Rock Island.
Have you ever been to Rock Island?
After visiting Chicago, we drove along the Mississippi to explore Rock Island.
My grandfather grew up in Rock Island and often shared stories about the old riverfront.
The Union prison in Rock Island housed thousands of Confederate soldiers during the Civil War.

Surface Forms

Rock Island main

Morphology

Rock + island

The constituents 'rock' and 'island' cue a place that is literally an island or a rocky island, so learners can infer it's a geographic location. However, the expression refers to a specific city with historical details (and not simply any island), and that precise referent and cultural/historical meaning cannot be derived from the parts alone, making the transparency partial.

Etymology

The place name Rock Island may come from a real small rock island in the Mississippi River near where people first lived. The town took that name, so Rock Island today means the 'city' by that rocky island.