John Company
- noun
- Informal
:
Compañía de las Indias Orientales
- The John Company played a significant role in British trade.
Examples
-
During the 19th century, John Company played a central role in the administration of India.
-
Many fortunes were made through investments in John Company.
-
The legacy of John Company is still discussed by historians today.
-
Many historians study the impact of the John Company on India.
-
During the 19th century, John Company played a central role in the administration of India.
-
Many fortunes were made through investments in John Company.
-
The legacy of John Company is still discussed by historians today.
Synonyms
2
5.8
A British trading company that began in 1600 and later ruled parts of India
Surface Forms
Morphology
John + company
This is a metonymic historical nickname: 'John' is just a personal name and 'company' denotes an organization, but that combination does not transparently identify the East India Company. Understanding that 'John Company' refers specifically to the historic East India Company requires cultural/historical knowledge rather than composition of constituent meanings, so a B1 learner who only knows the parts would not infer the referent.
Etymology
John Company comes from people in India and sailors who casually called the East India Company John, because 'John' was a common English name for any English person. That's why John Company became an informal name for the East India Company today.