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Saint Eustatius

Saint Eustatius

1 8.4
A small volcanic island in the Caribbean that belongs to the Netherlands
  • proper noun
: San Eustaquio
  • The volcanic island of Saint Eustatius is known for its rich colonial history.

Examples

  • Many scientists visit Saint Eustatius to study its unique marine biodiversity.

  • Flights to Saint Eustatius are limited, so most tourists arrive by boat.

  • I visited Saint Eustatius last summer.

  • Have you ever been to Saint Eustatius?

  • Flights to Saint Eustatius are limited, so most tourists arrive by boat.

  • Many scientists visit Saint Eustatius to study its unique marine biodiversity.

  • The volcanic island of Saint Eustatius is known for its rich colonial history.

Synonyms

St. Eustatius
vsSaint Eustatius
1 8.2

An island in the Caribbean known for its history and natural beauty

uses the current Dutch Caribbean status rather than the older political unit
Sint Eustatius
vsSaint Eustatius
1 9.3

An island in the Caribbean that is part of the Netherlands

describes it as part of the Dutch Caribbean region instead

Surface Forms

Morphology

saint + Eustatius

This is a proper name composed of 'Saint' + a personal name; knowing 'saint' lets a learner infer the expression names a saint-related person or place, but the specific referent (that it is an island in the Caribbean Netherlands) cannot be derived from the constituents because 'Eustatius' is opaque. The cross-linguistic pattern of 'Saint + name' makes the form partially predictable (a place or person), but the precise geographic meaning is not, so it is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Saint Eustatius comes from a saint called Eustatius; one popular story says he was a hunter who saw a deer with a small cross between its horns. So the island was 'named after' that saint, which is why the name refers to the island today.