Battle of the Spanish Armada
- proper noun
:
Batalla de la Armada Española
- Did you know that the Battle of the Spanish Armada took place in 1588?
Examples
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The English navy's victory in the Battle of the Spanish Armada boosted national confidence.
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Many historians consider the Battle of the Spanish Armada a turning point in European history.
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Books about the Battle of the Spanish Armada often highlight unexpected weather as a factor in Spain's defeat.
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The Battle of the Spanish Armada was a pivotal moment in English history.
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Many historians consider the Battle of the Spanish Armada a turning point in European history.
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The English navy's victory in the Battle of the Spanish Armada boosted national confidence.
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Did you know that the Battle of the Spanish Armada took place in 1588?
Surface Forms
Morphology
battle + of + the + Spanish + armada
The phrase is compositionally transparent: 'battle' combined with 'Spanish Armada' clearly denotes a military engagement involving the Spanish fleet. A B1 learner who knows 'battle', 'Spanish' and 'armada' will understand it refers to a naval battle (even if they do not know the specific historical date or outcome), and event-naming patterns like this are common across languages.
Etymology
Battle of the Spanish Armada comes from a famous 1588 sea fight when England beat a large Spanish Armada, a 'fleet' of warships sent to invade. Picture many big Spanish ships trying to land while smaller English ships and bad weather stopped them, and that is why the name refers to that important English victory.
