Cyrano de Bergerac

3 9.9

A French soldier and writer now famous as a hero in a play with a very large nose

proper noun
/sɪˈrɑːnoʊ də bɛrˈʒɑrk/

Literature

: Cyrano de Bergerac

He admired the wit and bravery of Cyrano de Bergerac, both as a real person and as a character.

Examples

Have you read Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand?
Many actors dream of performing as Cyrano de Bergerac on stage.
The play about Cyrano de Bergerac has captivated audiences for generations.
In the play, Cyrano de Bergerac is portrayed as a romantic hero.
Many actors dream of performing as Cyrano de Bergerac on stage.
In the play, Cyrano de Bergerac is portrayed as a romantic hero.
The play about Cyrano de Bergerac has captivated audiences for generations.

Synonyms

Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac

vsCyrano de Bergerac

1 9.9

A French soldier and writer known for his wit who inspired Rostand's play

is a theatrical hero remembered for a big nose and grand heroic image

Surface Forms

Cyrano de Bergerac main

Morphology

Cyrano + de + Bergerac

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical/fictional person, so its referent and cultural associations cannot be derived from the literal constituents. Even if a learner knows 'de' as 'of' or recognizes 'Bergerac' as a place-name, that information does not yield the biographical or literary meaning (the play character, soldier/writer, or Rostand's hero), so the item is not compositional for learners.

Etymology

Cyrano de Bergerac comes from a real French soldier and writer, but most people know him from a famous play where he is brave, clever, and has a very large nose. In the play he secretly writes love letters for another man so the woman he loves falls for the words, not his face, so today his name often means 'a romantic, selfless lover'.