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Glite Dictionary
St. David

St. David

7.9
A Welsh saint who taught people about Christianity and is celebrated on March 1
  • proper noun
translation icon : San David
  • Every year, the Welsh celebrate St. David's Day on March 1st.

Examples

  • Many churches in Wales are dedicated to St. David.

  • Did you know St. David is the patron saint of Wales?

  • According to legend, St. David performed miracles during his lifetime.

  • Many people celebrate St. David's Day on March 1st.

  • Every year, the Welsh celebrate St. David's Day on March 1st.

  • According to legend, St. David performed miracles during his lifetime.

  • Many churches in Wales are dedicated to St. David.

Synonyms

David
vsSt. David
∞ 3.6

A Christian saint who is the patron saint of Wales

focuses on his role spreading Christianity in Wales rather than founding communities
Saint David
vsSt. David
6.0

A Welsh church leader and preacher from about 520–600 who is the country's patron saint

is celebrated mainly for spreading Christianity in Wales rather than title or office

Surface Forms

St. David main

Morphology

St. + David

The form is compositionally built from 'St.' (Saint) + 'David', so a learner who knows those constituents can infer it refers to a saint named David; many languages use a similar honorific making the basic sense recognizable. However, the specific encyclopedic information that this particular saint is the patron saint of Wales (and the historical details) cannot be derived from the words alone, so full understanding requires prior cultural knowledge.

Etymology

St. David was a church leader in Wales long ago, famous for founding churches and for stories of small miracles. One popular story says that when he preached a small hill rose under his feet so everyone could see him, and that clear picture helps explain why St. David is the special 'patron saint' who looks after Wales.