2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25
Descriptive and expressive means of language are widely used not only in poetic texts, but also in prose. Many of them have firmly entered our everyday life, from the category of explicit ones they moved into hidden metaphors, personifications, and so on. One of the most interesting linguistic phenomena is metonymy.
Definition and examples
The emergence of paths is based on the associative links of objects, phenomena, properties, qualities. Metonymy was formed on the same principle. The term originates from the Greek language and means "rename". That is, metonymy is a substitution, substitution, the use of one object or phenomenon in place of another. For example, Pushkin is called the Sun of Russian poetry, recognizing his great role in art and literature. This comparison is so fused in our minds with the image of the poet that when we hear or read these words, we automatically understand who we are talking about. Or, when we say "Hollywood", we mean not so much a geographical feature as the famous American "Star Factory".
It is clear that metonymy is the use of words or phrases in a figurative sense. The roots of this phenomenon lie in the deep past of mankind. At the dawn of his childhood (also metonymy), the ancient man believed that his life was completely dependent on evil and good forces. Trying to deceive the evil spirits, he gave double names to himself and his children - one real, and it was kept secret, and the other was deceitful, and it could be pronounced loudly. Thus, everyone who could harm the child was misled, and the people themselves, from their point of view, were safe. Therefore, initially metonymy is a kind of amulet, taboo, secret knowledge about the true essence of things and its careful concealment.
Replacing the names of some phenomena with others close to them has firmly entered the consciousness and language practice of all subsequent generations of human society. So, in the Middle Ages they were afraid to pronounce the main name of the devil and replaced it with others: unclean, horned, devil. That is, metonymy is the replacement of the names of some concepts by the names of others, similar to the first.
Metonymy around us
The first examples of metonymy in speech, like the term itself, were given to us by the Greeks and taken from Greek culture. Homer became her personification. And therefore, when we hear: “I am going to the country sung by Homer”, it is clear that we are talking about Greece. Here it is, a good example of metonymy!
Metonymy, as a vivid figurative language means, is widely spread. Many phraseological units, proverbs are built on it.and sayings, aphorisms. A modern native speaker may not hear anything about the real Croesus, the king from Lydia, about his enormous we alth. But he has heard the expression "rich as Croesus", knows what it means, and successfully uses it to the point in his speech. Or Moscow. It is often called "the capital city", using this word as the second name of the city. And the hundred dollar bill is called "Franklin" after the president depicted on it.
Like every figurative and expressive means, metonymy enriches our speech, makes it more vivid, emotionally rich, figurative. It is widely used in the media, journalism and many areas of activity that are associated with the impact on human consciousness. So metonymy in advertising can be presented in the form of speaking slogans.
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Like any artistic trope, metonymy is designed to give our language figurativeness, poetry, expressiveness, beauty. Its quality is determined by the accuracy of the transmission of the desired thoughts and images.
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