The 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 obvious ones they have passed into hidden metaphors, personifications, and so on. One of the most interesting linguistic phenomena is metonymy.
Definition and examples
The emergence of tropes is based on the
associative relations of objects, phenomena, properties, qualities. By the same principle, metonymy was formed. The term originates from the Greek language and means "renaming". That is, metonymy is a substitution, substitution, use of one object or phenomenon instead of another. For example, Pushkin is called the Sun of Russian poetry, recognizing his great role in art, literature. This comparison has so grown together in our minds with the image of a 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 geographic object as the famous American "Star Factory".
It is clear that metonymy is the use of words or phrases in a figurative meaning. The roots of this phenomenon lie in the deep past of mankind. At the dawn of his childhood (also metonymy), an ancient man believed that his life completely depends on evil and good powers. Trying to deceive evil spirits, he gave double names to himself and his children - one real, and it was kept secret, and the other - fraudulent, 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 of the true essence of things and its thorough concealment.
Replacing the name of some phenomena with others close to them has firmly entered the consciousness and linguistic 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, damn. That is, metonymy is the replacement of the names of some concepts with 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 a country sung by Homer,” it is clear that we are talking about Greece. Here it is, a clear example of metonymy!
Metonymy, as a vivid figurative
language tool, is widely distributed. Many phraseological units, proverbs and sayings, aphorisms are built on it. A modern native speaker may not hear anything about the real Croesus, the king from Lydia, about his enormous wealth. But he heard the expression "rich as Croesus", knows what it means, and successfully uses it to the place in his speech. Or, Moscow. It is often called the "throne," using this word as the middle name of the city. A hundred-dollar bill is called "Franklin" according to the president depicted on it.
Like every graphic and expressive means, metonymy enriches our speech, makes it more vivid, emotionally rich, imaginative. It is widely used in the media, journalism and many areas of activity that are associated with effects on the human mind. So metonymy in advertising can be represented in the form of talking slogans.
Summary
Like any artistic pathway, metonymy is designed to give our language imagery, poetry, expressiveness, and beauty. Its quality is determined by the accuracy of the transmission of the desired thoughts and images.