Jesse Owens

4 4.2

A Black American athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and challenged Nazi racial ideas

proper noun
/ˈdʒɛsi ˈoʊənz/

: Jesse Owens

Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

Examples

The achievements of Jesse Owens inspired generations of athletes worldwide.
Did you know that Jesse Owens competed in Berlin?
Many people see Jesse Owens as a symbol of courage and equality in sports.
Many consider Jesse Owens a hero for his achievements.
Jesse Owens' astounding performance at the 1936 Berlin Olympics made him a symbol of strength in the face of racism.
Many people admire Jesse Owens for his incredible achievements in track and field during the 1936 Olympics.
Jesse Owens became famous after winning four gold medals, proving that athletic excellence transcends race.

Surface Forms

Jesse Owens main

Morphology

Jesse + Owens

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; the constituent tokens 'Jesse' and 'Owens' do not compose to convey the biographical meaning. A B1 learner who knows the individual words would not be able to infer that this is a Black American athlete who won four gold medals in 1936, so the expression requires world knowledge rather than compositional understanding.

Etymology

Jesse Owens became famous at the 1936 Berlin Olympics when he won four gold medals and showed that the rulers' idea of racial superiority was wrong. That's why Jesse Owens is remembered as a 'symbol of courage and equality' in sport.