Ile St-Louis

8.1

A small island in the River Seine in Paris with very old houses and shops

proper noun

: Isla de San Luis

Many tourists enjoy walking across Ile St-Louis to admire its beautiful 17th-century mansions.

Examples

Apartments on Ile St-Louis are some of the most sought-after in Paris.
The ice cream shop on Ile St-Louis is famous among Parisians and visitors alike.
I visited Ile St-Louis last summer.
Have you ever been to Ile St-Louis?
Many tourists enjoy walking across Ile St-Louis to admire its beautiful 17th-century mansions.
Apartments on Ile St-Louis are some of the most sought-after in Paris.
The ice cream shop on Ile St-Louis is famous among Parisians and visitors alike.

Surface Forms

Ile St-Louis main

Morphology

ile + St-Louis

The name combines 'ile' (island) with the proper name 'St-Louis', so its meaning 'the island called Saint-Louis' is directly derivable from the constituents. This place-name composition is cross-linguistically common (e.g. Isla San Luis, Île Saint‑Louis), so a B1 learner who knows both parts would understand it as an island named St. Louis.

Etymology

Ile St-Louis is named after King Louis; Ile means 'island' and St-Louis refers to the king. In the 1600s rich families built grand houses along the river, and so today it is known for 'historic architecture' and as a quiet 'residential' area.