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Glite Dictionary
Sierra Madre Oriental

Sierra Madre Oriental

7.2
A mountain range in eastern Mexico that runs along the Gulf of Mexico coast
  • proper noun
translation icon : Sierra Madre Oriental
  • Much of the rainfall on Mexico's east coast is influenced by the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains.

Examples

  • The Sierra Madre Oriental is known for its diverse plant and animal life.

  • Scientists are studying climate change effects in the Sierra Madre Oriental region.

  • The Sierra Madre Oriental is known for its stunning landscapes.

  • Have you ever visited the Sierra Madre Oriental?

  • Much of the rainfall on Mexico's east coast is influenced by the Sierra Madre Oriental mountains.

  • The Sierra Madre Oriental is known for its diverse plant and animal life.

  • Scientists are studying climate change effects in the Sierra Madre Oriental region.

Surface Forms

Sierra Madre Oriental main

Morphology

sierra + Madre + oriental

The name is fully compositional: sierra = mountain range, madre = mother, and oriental = eastern, so the phrase literally denotes an 'eastern mother mountain range' and therefore a mountain range located to the east. A B1 learner who knows these constituent meanings can infer it refers to a specific mountain range in the eastern region (here, northeastern Mexico); note that in this toponym 'oriental' means 'eastern' rather than 'East Asian'.

Etymology

Sierra Madre Oriental comes from Spanish and literally means 'eastern mother range': sierra is a word for a mountain range, madre means 'mother', and oriental means 'eastern'. So the name describes the large mountain chain on Mexico's east side by the Gulf of Mexico.