Spice Islands
1
5.9
- proper noun
:
Islas de las Especias
- Historically, the Spice Islands were a focal point for European explorers seeking valuable trade routes.
Examples
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In the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company established a stronghold in the Spice Islands to monopolize the spice trade.
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The Portuguese built this in 1515, and they were hoping to find the Spice Islands.
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Ask the dead bodies of the non-Muslims in the Moluccas (Spice Islands, Maluku),
Blog text (3) -
Ask the dead bodies of the non-Muslims in the Moluccas (Spice Islands, Maluku), but then the Western media didn't; bet they did not get any compensation.
Blog text (3) -
The Portuguese sought to control trade in the Spice Islands, leading to intense competition with other European powers.
Synonyms
1
8.3
A group of islands in eastern Indonesia called the Spice Islands and famous for nutmeg and cloves
1
6.3
A group of islands in eastern Indonesia known as the Spice Islands for cloves and nutmeg
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'Spice Islands' is directly interpretable as 'islands associated with spices' from the constituent words 'spice' and 'island', so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to islands known for spices (and by extension the historic spice trade). Historical or geopolitical details (colonization, exact location) are not derivable, but the basic referential meaning is compositional and cross-linguistically transparent.
Etymology
Spice Islands comes from a group of real islands in eastern Indonesia that were full of valuable spices like nutmeg and cloves. European traders and countries fought to control those islands, so the name now points to the original source of those 'spices' and their importance in world trade.