John Reed

1 7.6

An American journalist and writer who wrote about the Russian Revolution and helped start the Communist Labor Party

proper noun
/dʒɑn rid/

: John Reed

John Reed reported from Petrograd during the Russian Revolution and published his accounts in the renowned book 'Ten Days That Shook the World.'

Examples

The famous American journalist John Reed reported on the Russian Revolution.
As a founder of the Communist Labor Party, John Reed played an important role in the history of American leftist movements.
The influence of John Reed can still be felt in political journalism today, especially among those covering revolutionary events.
Did John Reed really witness the events of 1917?
John Reed reported from Petrograd during the Russian Revolution and published his accounts in the renowned book 'Ten Days That Shook the World.'
As a founder of the Communist Labor Party, John Reed played an important role in the history of American leftist movements.
The influence of John Reed can still be felt in political journalism today, especially among those covering revolutionary events.

Surface Forms

John Reed main

Morphology

John + Reed

This is a personal name (proper noun) whose meaning is referential and encyclopedic; knowing the constituents 'John' and 'Reed' does not allow a learner to infer the biographical fact that he was an American journalist involved with the Russian Revolution. Proper names are arbitrary labels that require specific cultural or historical knowledge rather than compositional word knowledge, so the expression is not derivable from its parts.

Etymology

John Reed was an American journalist who went to Petrograd and lived among the crowds during the Russian Revolution, then wrote the famous book 'Ten Days That Shook the World' about what he saw. That's why his name now brings to mind a reporter who 'witnesses' and writes about big political change.