sweet violet
1
5.8
- noun
- /swit ˈvaɪəlɪt/
- The sweet violet is known for its charming purple flowers and lovely fragrance.
Examples
-
Who'll buy my sweet violets?
Fiction book (1991) -
In spring, the garden was filled with blooming sweet violets that attracted many bees.
-
My grandmother always loved to decorate her home with sweet violets during the spring.
Synonyms
1
4.4
A small garden flower with purple or white petals and a sweet smell
1
3.5
A small plant with purple or white flowers that grows in gardens
1
9.5
A small violet with purple or white sweet smelling flowers often grown in gardens
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a violet with a pleasant fragrance' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'sweet' (here meaning fragrant or pleasantly scented) with 'violet' (the plant), so a learner who knows both words can infer it is a fragrant violet. This is a regular adjective + noun composition (not idiomatic) and has clear cross-linguistic parallels, making it immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Sweet violet is named for its small purple violet flowers and their strong, pleasant scent; the word sweet points to the nice smell and violet to the flower. So the name simply tells you it is a small, fragrant violet today.