Franz Ferdinand

2 6.4

Archduke of Austria whose death in 1914 helped start World War I

proper noun

: Franz Ferdinand

Don't forget Franz Ferdinand!
archduke Franz Ferdinand

Examples

Franz Ferdinand was assassinated.
On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was killed in Sarajevo, leading to a major global conflict.
Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo in 1914, an event that sparked World War I.
Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was a key figure in early twentieth-century European politics.
Many historians believe that the death of Franz Ferdinand dramatically altered the course of the twentieth century.
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 marked a pivotal moment in history, sparking World War I.
Archduke Franz Ferdinand is often remembered for his role in the events that triggered World War I.

Synonyms

Francis Ferdinand

vsFranz Ferdinand

1 7.3

An Austrian archduke whose 1914 killing helped start World War I

is a general note without years or precise assassination location

Surface Forms

Franz Ferdinand main

Morphology

Franz + Ferdinand

This is a proper name made of two given names; knowing the literal forms 'Franz' and 'Ferdinand' does not convey that the referent was an Archduke whose assassination triggered World War I. The expression's meaning depends on specific historical/world knowledge rather than compositional meaning, so learners cannot derive it from the parts.

Etymology

Franz Ferdinand was an Austrian ruler who was killed in Sarajevo in 1914. His death set off a chain of events between countries, so people remember it as the 'spark' that started World War I.