Bartolomeu Dias
1
7.9
- proper noun
- Bartolomeu Dias was the first European explorer to round the Cape of Good Hope in 1488.
Examples
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In 1488, Bartolomeu Dias became the first European to reach the Indian Ocean.
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Many historians credit Bartolomeu Dias with paving the way for European sea trade with Asia.
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The voyage of Bartolomeu Dias marked a turning point in maritime exploration.
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The explorer Bartolomeu Dias sailed around the Cape of Good Hope.
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Bartolomeu Dias was the first European explorer to round the Cape of Good Hope in 1488.
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Many historians credit Bartolomeu Dias with paving the way for European sea trade with Asia.
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The voyage of Bartolomeu Dias marked a turning point in maritime exploration.
Synonyms
1
5.6
A Portuguese explorer who first sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and opened a sea route to Asia
1
7.9
A Portuguese sailor who first sailed around the Cape of Good Hope and opened a sea route to Asia
1
8.8
A Portuguese explorer who first sailed around the Cape of Good Hope in 1488, opening a sea route to Asia
Surface Forms
Morphology
Bartolomeu + Dias
This is a proper name referring to a historical person; the identity and biographical information (Portuguese explorer who rounded the Cape) are not compositionally built from the parts. Personal names are arbitrary labels rather than predictable combinations of word meanings, so a B1 learner who only knows the constituent name-words would not be able to derive the MWE's referential meaning.
Etymology
Bartolomeu Dias was a Portuguese sailor who in 1488 steered a small ship around Africa's rocky southern tip, a dangerous place called the Cape of Good Hope. That brave voyage is why he is remembered as the 'first European to sail around the Cape' and for helping to 'open the sea route to Asia'.