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Glite Dictionary
Ramesses II

Ramesses II

1 9.2
An Egyptian pharaoh from about 1200 BC who built many monuments and led many wars
  • proper noun
: Ramsés II
  • The colossal statues at Abu Simbel were built by Ramesses II to commemorate his reign.

Examples

  • Historians often refer to Ramesses II as 'Ramesses the Great' because of his monumental building projects.

  • Many ancient inscriptions describe the military campaigns led by Ramesses II.

  • Many ancient inscriptions describe the military campaigns led by Ramesses II.

  • The great Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II is often called Ramses the Great.

  • Did Ramesses II really build more monuments than any other pharaoh?

  • Historians often refer to Ramesses II as 'Ramesses the Great' because of his monumental building projects.

  • The colossal statues at Abu Simbel were built by Ramesses II to commemorate his reign.

Synonyms

Ramses
vsRamesses II
14 8.1

A name used by several ancient Egyptian kings, especially the famous king who ruled around 1300 BC

identifies the single reign and monuments of one king, not the name
Rameses
vsRamesses II
4 9.9

A name for eleven Egyptian kings who ruled long ago, especially Rameses II

refers only to one particular ruler, not the family name
Ramesses
vsRamesses II
1 9.9

One of eleven kings of ancient Egypt from long ago, the most famous being Ramesses II

means this specific ruler rather than the general royal name
Ramses the Great
vsRamesses II
1 7.7

A king of ancient Egypt who built many large temples and ruled for a long time

uses the specific reign years stated in the key
Ramses II
vsRamesses II
1 8.1

King of ancient Egypt who ruled around 1300 BC, led many wars, and built many large temples

is the version given in the key concept
Ramesses the Great
vsRamesses II
1 8.6

An ancient Egyptian king known for leading armies and building large temples

highlights the precise years and reputation for construction and victories
Rameses the Great
vsRamesses II
1 8.9

An Egyptian king who ruled long ago, fought wars and built many temples

gives the exact years and stresses building and military feats
Rameses II
vsRamesses II
1 8.1

A famous ancient Egyptian king known for building large temples and winning wars

is the form used by the key concept

Surface Forms

Ramesses II main

Morphology

Ramesses + II

The phrase is fully compositional: 'Ramesses' is a royal name (a king of ancient Egypt) and 'II' is the Roman numeral for two, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer this refers to the second Ramesses, i.e. a specific Egyptian pharaoh. Roman-numeral ordinal naming of monarchs is common cross-linguistically, supporting immediate comprehension.

Etymology

Ramesses II comes from an ancient Egyptian name that means 'born of the sun god Ra'. The II shows he was the 'second' king with that name. Because he built huge temples and statues that still show his name, people today remember him as a great ruler.