Sierra Nevada
- proper noun
:
Sierra Nevada
- The Sierra Nevada mountain range is famous for its ski resorts and beautiful scenery.
Examples
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As we drove through the Sierra Nevada, we admired the towering mountains and breathtaking views.
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Many rare plant species can be found in the Sierra Nevada region of Spain.
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The Sierra Nevada is famous for its stunning alpine scenery and winter sports resorts.
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We hiked across the Sierra Nevada during our trip to Andalusia.
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The Sierra Nevada mountains are breathtaking.
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Have you ever visited the Sierra Nevada?
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Many hikers visit the Sierra Nevada to experience its stunning landscapes and high peaks.
Surface Forms
Morphology
sierra + Nevada
This is a toponym whose first element 'sierra' literally means a mountain range and the second element 'Nevada' (from Spanish, 'snowy' / a place name) signals a specific mountainous region, so a learner who knows the constituents can largely infer it refers to a mountain range (often snow-covered). However, as a fixed place name with cultural/geographical specificity (and because 'Nevada' functions as a proper name rather than a transparent modifier in English), the exact referent and its location are lexicalized rather than fully predictable.
Etymology
Sierra Nevada comes from Spanish words sierra and nevada, where sierra means 'mountain range' or 'saw' and nevada means 'snow-covered'. The image of a long, saw-like row of white peaks explains why people named the snowy mountains in southern Spain this way.
