Jacob Grimm
1
7.6
- proper noun
- /ˈdʒeɪkəb ɡrɪm/
- Jacob Grimm was instrumental in collecting and publishing folk tales that are still read today.
Examples
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The study of Germanic languages often references Jacob Grimm's formulation of sound laws.
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Many credit Jacob Grimm with shaping modern approaches to linguistics and folklore.
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The fairy tales of Jacob Grimm are beloved by many.
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Did Jacob Grimm really write down the stories?
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Jacob Grimm played a key role in collecting and publishing fairy tales that have influenced storytelling worldwide.
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As a linguist, Jacob Grimm is known for his work on sound changes in the German language.
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The enduring popularity of Jacob Grimm's fairy tales showcases their impact on literature.
Synonyms
1
7.1
Older of two Grimm brothers who collected German fairy tales and studied how languages change
A German scholar who collected folk tales and studied how language sounds change
Surface Forms
Morphology
Jacob + Grimm
This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; the meaning (a particular 19th-century scholar and fairy-tale collector) is referential and not built compositionally from the parts. Knowing the constituent words 'Jacob' and 'Grimm' does not allow a B1 learner to infer that specific biographical information, so the expression is non-compositional and opaque.
Etymology
Jacob Grimm is the older of the two Grimm brothers who walked from village to village writing down old stories. He also noticed patterns in how sounds change in words, so his name is remembered both for the 'fairy tales' he helped save and for a 'sound law' that explains those changes.