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classical scholar

classical scholar

1 9.4
A person who studies ancient Greek and Latin language, writings, and culture
  • noun
  • /ˈklæsɪkəl ˈskɒlər/
translation icon : estudioso clásico
  • Lister aimed to demonstrate his own undoubted skills as a classical scholar and rehabilitate Apicius and his diet as a healthful one.

What is the difference between a a classical scholar and a biblical scholar?

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Examples

  • Mr. Brooks, who is a classical scholar, reports that he is unable to identify the references to Pliny marked in red on galleys 18, 19, and 20, and also the reference to Philostratus: Life of Apollonius of Tyana.

    Academic text (1990)
  • What is the difference between a a classical scholar and a biblical scholar?

  • "I am a classical scholar," he insists during one beleaguered moment, "I trained at Harvard."

    Academic text (1993)
  • Classical scholars argued that anyone who studied the Qur'an without having mastered the doctrine of abrogation would be "deficient."

    Academic text (2007)
  • A notable classical scholar, she published an influential book on ancient Greek literature.

  • Many universities offer programs for students aspiring to become classical scholars specializing in Latin.

  • As a classical scholar, he devoted his life to studying the language and culture of ancient Rome.

Synonyms

classicist
vsclassical scholar
1 9.2

A person who studies the languages, literature, and culture of ancient Greece and Rome

is a multiword descriptive phrase rather than a single-word title
philologist
vsclassical scholar
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A person who studies old written languages and texts like Latin or Greek

is broader, covering literature and culture as well as language study
philologue
vsclassical scholar
  • Specialized
9.9

A scholar who studies old languages and books like Latin or Greek

is narrower, concentrating on ancient Greek and Latin language and culture

How Traditional

classical scholar
1 9.4
anticlassical
  • Formal
9.9
modernist
15 5.5
radical
462 6.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

classical + scholar

The meaning 'a person who studies ancient Greek and Latin language, literature, and culture' is directly and predictably derived from combining 'classical' (pertaining to antiquity) with 'scholar' (an expert or researcher). This literal, compositional pattern is cross-linguistically common, so an average B1 learner who knows both constituents would understand the MWE.

Etymology

Classical scholar paints a simple picture: classical means from ancient Greece and Rome and a scholar is someone who studies and reads old texts. So a classical scholar is 'a person who studies ancient Greek and Latin language, literature, and culture'.