Skip to main content
Tarzan of the Apes

Tarzan of the Apes

1 5.1
A man raised by apes who is the hero of adventure books
  • proper noun
  • Literature
: Tarzán de los monos
  • Tarzan of the Apes first appeared in print in 1912 and has inspired generations of readers.

Examples

  • Many film adaptations have brought Tarzan of the Apes to life on the big screen.

  • As a child, she was fascinated by the story of Tarzan of the Apes and his jungle adventures.

  • I just finished reading Tarzan of the Apes!

  • Have you ever seen a movie based on Tarzan of the Apes?

  • Tarzan of the Apes is a beloved character known for his incredible strength and adventures in the jungle.

  • Many readers have enjoyed the tales of Tarzan of the Apes as he navigates the challenges of the wild.

  • The allure of Tarzan of the Apes lies in his unique upbringing among animals and his heroism.

Synonyms

Tarzan
vsTarzan of the Apes
  • Literature
33 5.8

A man in stories raised by apes in the jungle

is the original full title used for the same novel hero
ape-man
vsTarzan of the Apes
  • Literature
4 9.9

A person raised by apes in stories or myths

is a specific named hero in the novels rather than a general type

Surface Forms

Morphology

Tarzan + of + the + ape

The title is fully compositional: 'Tarzan' (a named character) combined with the genitive/association phrase 'of the apes' directly indicates a Tarzan who belongs to or is associated with apes. This meaning ('the man raised by apes') follows a transparent, cross-linguistic possession/association pattern and would be derivable by a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Tarzan of the Apes was created by writer Edgar Rice Burroughs in 1912 as a boy who grew up living with apes in the jungle, so picture a strong man swinging on vines and calling to animals. That is why the name means 'the man raised by apes' and now refers to that famous jungle hero.