Syrian bear
- noun
:
oso sirio
- A Syrian bear at the zoo attracted attention for its pale, almost yellowish fur.
Examples
-
The Syrian bear is now extremely rare in much of its original habitat due to hunting and habitat loss.
-
Researchers are studying the migration patterns of the Syrian bear in northern Iran.
-
The Syrian bear is an endangered species.
-
Have you ever seen a Syrian bear in the wild?
-
A Syrian bear at the zoo attracted attention for its pale, almost yellowish fur.
-
Researchers are studying the migration patterns of the Syrian bear in northern Iran.
-
The Syrian bear is now extremely rare in much of its original habitat due to hunting and habitat loss.
Synonyms
A type of brown bear from the Middle East with yellowish-grey fur
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'Syrian' (from Syria) + 'bear' (the animal), so a learner who knows both words will infer 'a bear from Syria' or a Syrian subspecies. This nationality-adjective + noun pattern is regular in English and cross-linguistically common, making the expression immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Syrian bear gets its name from the place and the animal: Syrian points to the region around Syria and bear is the animal, so it literally means a bear from that area. That's why today Syrian bear refers to the yellowish-grey kind of brown bear found in parts of the Middle East and now very rare.
