commines: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

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UK/kɒˈmiːn/US/kɑˈmin/

Academic / Historical

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Quick answer

What does “commines” mean?

A proper noun referring to Philippe de Commynes, a 15th-century French historian and diplomat.

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Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

A proper noun referring to Philippe de Commynes, a 15th-century French historian and diplomat.

In historical and literary contexts, the name can refer to the person, his works, or be used metonymically for shrewd political observation or medieval chronicle writing.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant differences in usage. The name is equally obscure in both varieties.

Connotations

Scholarly, historical, specialised.

Frequency

Extremely rare in general usage; encountered almost exclusively in texts on late medieval European history or historiography.

Grammar

How to Use “commines” in a Sentence

[Author] Commynes describes...[Subject] is analysed by Commynes.The memoirs of Commynes provide...

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
Philippe de CommynesMemoirs of Commyneschronicler Commynes
medium
the historian Commynesaccording to Commynes
weak
read Commynesage of Commynesera of Commynes

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Not used.

Academic

Used in historical studies, especially of the Burgundian court and Louis XI of France.

Everyday

Virtually never used.

Technical

May appear in specialised historiography or literary criticism.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “commines”

Strong

Philippe de Commynes

Neutral

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “commines”

modern historiancontemporary journalistfiction writer

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “commines”

  • Misspelling as 'Comines' (a common simplification).
  • Using it as a common noun (e.g., 'He wrote a commines about the war.').

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

It is the anglicised spelling of a French proper name, used in English-language historical writing.

In English, it is commonly pronounced /kɒˈmiːn/ (ko-MEEN) or /kɑˈmin/ (kah-MEEN), approximating the French original.

No, it is a highly specialised term. Using it would likely require explanation unless speaking with a historian of the period.

He wrote memoirs ('Mémoires') which are a key primary source for the reigns of Louis XI of France and Charles the Bold of Burgundy.

A proper noun referring to Philippe de Commynes, a 15th-century French historian and diplomat.

Commines is usually academic / historical in register.

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • None

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Commynes *comments* on the kings of his time.

Conceptual Metaphor

A NAME FOR SHREWD OBSERVATION (His name is used metonymically for astute political analysis, e.g., 'to apply a bit of Commynes to the situation').

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
The shrewd political observations in the of Philippe de Commynes are still studied today.
Multiple Choice

What is 'Commines' primarily known as?

Practise

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