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Glite Dictionary
William Saroyan

William Saroyan

1 7.9
An Armenian-American writer who writes plays and short stories about immigrant life
  • proper noun
  • /ˈwɪljəm səˈrɔɪən/
: William Saroyan
  • Many of William Saroyan's stories reflect his Armenian heritage and his life in California.

Examples

  • William Saroyan won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940 for his play "The Time of Your Life."

  • The famous author William Saroyan wrote many acclaimed plays.

  • My favorite short story by William Saroyan is "The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze."

  • Did you read anything by William Saroyan?

  • William Saroyan, an influential American author, vividly captured the immigrant experience in his works.

  • The acclaimed playwright William Saroyan often drew inspiration from his Armenian roots.

  • Many readers may be familiar with William Saroyan through his award-winning play "The Time of Your Life."

Surface Forms

William Saroyan main

Morphology

William + Saroyan

This is a personal name (proper noun) whose referential meaning (an Armenian‑American writer born 1908) is not compositional; knowing the parts 'William' and 'Saroyan' does not let a learner infer that biographical information. Proper names function as arbitrary labels and require world/cultural knowledge or exposure rather than derivation from constituent words.

Etymology

The writer William Saroyan grew up in an Armenian immigrant family and became famous for warm, simple plays and short stories about everyday people. Imagine him sitting in a café, watching a busy street and turning small moments into touching stories, and that's why his name is linked to stories of immigrant life and ordinary people.