Victor Hugo

4 5.1

A famous French writer from the 1800s who wrote Les Misérables and The Hunchback of Notre-Dame

proper noun
/ˈvɪktər ˈjuːɡoʊ/

Literature

: Víctor Hugo

The poetry of Victor Hugo often reflects his political and social ideals.

Examples

Many critics consider Victor Hugo one of the greatest writers of the nineteenth century.
'Les Misérables' was written by the celebrated French author Victor Hugo.
Many consider Victor Hugo one of the greatest French writers.
Did Victor Hugo really write 'Les Misérables'?
Victor Hugo is celebrated for his powerful novels, including Victor Hugo's 'Les Misérables' and 'The Hunchback of Notre-Dame.'
The literary works of Victor Hugo often explore themes of social justice and human rights.
Many students study Victor Hugo in literature classes to understand the Romantic movement in France.

Surface Forms

Victor Hugo main

Morphology

Victor + Hugo

This is a personal name (a named entity). Knowing the constituent words 'Victor' and 'Hugo' might signal that it refers to a person but does not let a B1 learner derive the specific biographical meaning (19th-century French poet/novelist/dramatist). Proper names are referential and arbitrary, so the MWE’s meaning is not compositional or predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Victor Hugo was a famous French writer of the 1800s who wrote long, dramatic stories such as 'Les Misérables' and 'The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'. His books show strong feelings and care about poor people and justice, so today his name stands for a great novelist who wrote about big human problems.