The Hague
32
3.9
- proper noun
- To journalists at The Hague, the prosecutor said, "What happened in Darfur is a consequence of Bashir's will."
- the Hague Convention
- the Hague conference
- court at The Hague
Examples
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I watched the announcement in The Hague today with great shock and sadness.
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Mr. Dragovic was exonerated by the International Crimes Tribunal in the Hague.
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I am familiar with the Hague Convention.
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I'd like to say a few words in response to the news from The Hague.
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John had asked to be posted at the embassy in The Hague.
Fiction book (1997) -
Ten of the accused are currently being held in its detention facility in The Hague.
Academic text (1998) -
They want to try him at The Hague
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Robert and Patricia are from the capital of the Netherlands, The Hague, and they love to travel too.
Blog text (13) -
In 1984, he represented Canada before the International Court of Justice in The Hague in the Canada-U.S. Gulf of Maine case.
Academic text (1991) -
The International Court of Justice is located in The Hague, Netherlands.
Synonyms
1
9.9
The Dutch name for The Hague, the city where the national government and the International Court of Justice are located
1
6.0
A Dutch city where the national government, royal family, and international courts are based
Surface Forms
Morphology
the + Hague
This is a toponym: knowing the determiner 'the' and the lexical form 'Hague' does not allow a learner to derive that it refers to the Dutch city that houses government institutions and international courts. 'Hague' is not a transparent common noun but an arbitrary place-name whose specific civic and legal associations require world knowledge or exposure, so the meaning is not compositionally predictable.
Etymology
The place name The Hague may come from old Dutch words where Hague meant 'hedge' and the full phrase meant 'the count's hedge', a fenced area where a local count kept a hunting ground and held meetings. That's why the name stuck to the town, which is still the home of government and international courts.