Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Saint Maarten

Saint Maarten

4.4
An island in the Caribbean shared by France and the Netherlands
  • proper noun
translation icon : San Martín
  • The island of Saint Maarten is known for its unique blend of Dutch and French cultures.

Examples

  • Many tourists visit Saint Maarten for its beautiful beaches and vibrant nightlife.

  • Hurricane Irma caused significant damage to Saint Maarten in 2017.

  • I visited Saint Maarten last summer.

  • Have you ever been to Saint Maarten?

  • Many tourists visit Saint Maarten for its beautiful beaches and vibrant nightlife.

  • The island of Saint Maarten is known for its unique blend of Dutch and French cultures.

  • Hurricane Irma caused significant damage to Saint Maarten in 2017.

Synonyms

St. Martin
vsSaint Maarten
3.5

An island in the Caribbean divided between France and the Netherlands

is the same island but lists local names for each administrative side
St. Maarten
vsSaint Maarten
3.6

An island in the northeast Caribbean shared by France and the Netherlands

locates it in the western Leeward Islands instead of the northeast
Saint Martin
vsSaint Maarten
3.8

An island in the northeast Caribbean shared by France and the Netherlands

places the island in the western Leeward Islands rather than northeastern Caribbean

Surface Forms

Saint Maarten main

Morphology

saint + Maarten

The compound clearly combines 'saint' with a personal name, so a learner who knows 'saint' and recognizes 'Maarten' as a name can infer it is a place or person named after a saint (i.e. a toponym), which gives partial predictability. However, the specific referent — that it is an island in the Leeward Islands jointly administered by France and the Netherlands — cannot be derived from the constituents, so the full meaning is not transparent.

Etymology

Saint Maarten was named after the saint Saint Martin; one popular story says Columbus saw the island on 'Saint Martin's Day' and called it Sint Maarten. That's why the island still carries that name today and is shared by France and the Netherlands.