Saint Timothy

1 8.8

A follower of Paul who led the early church in Ephesus

proper noun

: Santo Timoteo

Did you know that Saint Timothy was a bishop in Ephesus?

Examples

Many churches are named after Saint Timothy in honor of his dedication to the early Christian church.
The letters to Saint Timothy are included in the New Testament as epistles from Paul.
According to tradition, Saint Timothy was martyred for his faith.
In the New Testament, Saint Timothy is mentioned frequently.
According to tradition, Saint Timothy was a trusted disciple of Saint Paul in the early Christian community.
Many churches are dedicated to Saint Timothy, reflecting his important role in the early Christian church.
The letters written to Saint Timothy by Saint Paul are essential readings for understanding early Christianity.

Surface Forms

Saint Timothy main

Morphology

saint + Timothy

The compound is a title + proper name: 'saint' (a holy person) combined with the name 'Timothy' yields the compositional meaning 'a saint called Timothy', which a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer. Specific historical details (disciple of Paul, bishop of Ephesus) are encyclopedic and not derivable from the words, but the basic referential meaning is fully transparent and follows a cross-linguistically common title+name pattern.

Etymology

Saint Timothy comes from a young follower of Paul who became the leader of the early church and, by tradition, 'died for his faith'. That's why people name churches after Saint Timothy and why the name refers to that early Christian leader.