Louis the Great
- proper noun
- /luːi ðə ɡreɪt/
:
Luis el Grande
- The Palace of Versailles was expanded under Louis the Great to showcase French grandeur.
Examples
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The reign of Louis the Great is often regarded as a golden age in France.
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Many historians regard Louis the Great as the epitome of absolute monarchy in Europe.
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French art and culture flourished during the reign of Louis the Great.
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Did Louis the Great really build the Palace of Versailles?
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French art and culture flourished during the reign of Louis the Great.
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Many historians regard Louis the Great as the epitome of absolute monarchy in Europe.
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The reign of Louis the Great is often regarded as a golden age in France.
Synonyms
1
9.1
A title for Louis XIV of France, a king who had most power and lived at Versailles
Surface Forms
Morphology
Louis + the + great
The sequence combines a proper name 'Louis' with the definite article and the adjective 'great' (a person distinguished and honored), so a learner who knows the words can infer it is an honorific epithet meaning 'Louis who was great/renowned'. The pattern 'X the Great' (e.g. Alexander the Great, Catherine the Great) is cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner would readily understand the general meaning even if they lacked historical specifics.
Etymology
Louis the Great is a title that comes from how people praised King Louis XIV of France. He ruled a long time, won wars and built the huge Palace of Versailles to 'show his power', so people called him the Great, meaning 'an especially important ruler'.