Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden

9.5

King of Sweden from 1792 to 1809 who lost his throne after defeat by Napoleon

proper noun

: Gustav IV Adolfo de Suecia

King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden ruled from 1792 until his abdication in 1809 following military defeats.

Examples

King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden ruled from 1792 to 1809.
The abdication of Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden marked a turning point in Swedish history.
During his reign, Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden struggled to maintain his kingdom’s independence against Napoleon.
Historians often debate whether Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden could have avoided defeat in the Napoleonic Wars.
Did Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden face any major challenges during his reign?
During the Napoleonic Wars, Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden struggled to defend his realm against invasion.
The reign of Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden is often viewed as a significant period in 19th-century European history.

Surface Forms

Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden main

Morphology

Gustav + IV + Adolf + of + Sweden

This is a proper name/historical referent: knowing the parts ('Gustav', 'IV', 'Adolf', 'of', 'Sweden') lets a learner infer it is a person associated with Sweden (and that 'IV' marks a regnal number), but it does not allow them to infer the specific meaning that he was King of Sweden from 1792–1809 or his historical fate. The precise biographical/historical information is world knowledge rather than compositional semantics, so the expression is not derivable from its constituents.

Etymology

Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden was the 'king' of Sweden from 1792 to 1809 who opposed Napoleon and, after losing wars, was forced to give up his throne. So his name is remembered as the ruler whose defeat by Napoleon ended his rule.