Louis VII

1 9.1

King of France who led the failed Second Crusade and fought Henry II of England

proper noun
/luːi s ˈsɛvənθ/

: Luis VII

Many French monarchs, including Louis VII, played key roles in the conflicts with England.

Examples

King Louis VII ruled France from 1137 to 1180.
The marriage of Louis VII to Eleanor of Aquitaine had a significant impact on medieval European politics.
Louis VII was a pivotal figure in the history of the Second Crusade.
Did Louis VII lead the Second Crusade?
Louis VII was the King of France who led the Second Crusade in 1147.
During his reign, Louis VII faced numerous challenges from Henry II of England.
Louis VII reigned as the King of France during a tumultuous period in European history.

Surface Forms

Louis VII main

Morphology

Louis + VII

Knowing VII as the Roman numeral for seven lets a B1 learner interpret 'Louis VII' compositionally as 'Louis the Seventh' (the ordinal is transparent). However, the specific referent — that this is the medieval King of France and his historical details — cannot be derived from the constituent words alone; proper names convey limited propositional meaning beyond identity. Because part of the meaning (the ordinal) is clear but the full biographical sense is not, the expression is best classified as semi-transparent.

Etymology

Louis VII is the name of a French king; the VII are old letters that mean the number 'seven', so he was the seventh king named Louis. He lived in the 1100s, led the Second Crusade and married Eleanor of Aquitaine, events that made him a well-known king in history.