St. Maarten

3.6

An island in the northeast Caribbean shared by France and the Netherlands

proper noun
/seɪnt ˈmɑːrtən/

: San Martín

The island of St. Maarten is famous for its duty-free shopping and nightlife.

Examples

We spent our vacation in St. Maarten, enjoying the beaches and vibrant culture.
Flights to St. Maarten are popular among tourists seeking warm weather year-round.
I visited St. Maarten last summer.
Have you ever been to St. Maarten?
Many cruise ships stop at St. Maarten, offering tourists a chance to explore its attractions.
The beautiful beaches of St. Maarten attract visitors from around the world.
During my trip to the Caribbean, I was amazed by the stunning views from St. Maarten.

Synonyms

Saint Martin

vsSt. Maarten

3.8

An island in the northeast Caribbean shared by France and the Netherlands

focuses on joint administration rather than simple division

Saint Maarten

vsSt. Maarten

4.4

An island in the Caribbean shared by France and the Netherlands

places it in the northeast Leeward Islands instead of western ones

St. Martin

vsSt. Maarten

3.5

An island in the Caribbean divided between France and the Netherlands

places it in the northeast rather than the western Leeward Islands

Surface Forms

St. Maarten main

Morphology

St. + Maarten

The form 'St. Maarten' is compositionally 'Saint Maarten' — 'St.' is the common abbreviation for 'Saint' and 'Maarten' is a personal name, so the combined form clearly signals a place named after a saint. This naming pattern is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer it refers to a place (in this case an island) even if they lack specific geographic or administrative details.

Etymology

St. Maarten may get its name from Christopher Columbus, who saw the island on St. Martin's day and named it for the saint. The name Maarten is the Dutch form of 'Martin', so the island kept the saint's name and is still called St. Maarten today.