morris dancing
- noun
- /ˈmɔrɪs ˈdænsɪŋ/
- UK
:
danza morris
- She attended the cultural festival to watch the traditional troupe showcasing Morris dancing among other folk performances.
Examples
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The festival featured vibrant costumes, lively music, and groups of dancers performing Morris dancing in the town square.
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For centuries, my ancestors have immortalized the occasion with an annual banquet for the locals, usually with tankards of mead and Morris dancing.
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Every summer, the community organizes an event where local groups come together to share their passion for Morris dancing.
Synonyms
1
2.8
A dance from a community that people learn from their grandparents
A traditional English group dance with dancers in costumes who use sticks, handkerchiefs, or bells
Dances that people in a region pass down over time
Surface Forms
Morphology
morris + dancing
The element 'dancing' clearly marks this as a type of dance and the compound follows a transparent pattern (Name + dancing), so a learner who knows both constituents could infer it denotes a dance associated with 'Morris'. However, 'Morris' is a culture-specific proper name whose particular traditional meaning and cultural features are not predictable from the word itself, so full comprehension requires prior exposure or explanation.
Etymology
Morris dancing may come from an old phrase for 'Moorish' dancing; one popular story says English dancers long ago copied dances thought to be from the 'Moors', and the name became Morris. Imagine groups in a village wearing bells and waving sticks while they dance, and this picture is why morris dancing means a traditional group dance today.