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metanim

rockindemon

what is one? its a literary device

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Reply 1

OldMan

rockindemon

what is one? its a literary device

see http://www.foamycustard.org/fc031.htm

for a more technical definition, read on

taken from http://explanation-guide.info/meaning/Metonymy.html

Metonymy, a term of rhetoric and cognitive linguistics, is the use of a single characteristic to identify a more complex entity. It is also known as denominatio.

In rhetoric, metonymy is the substitution of one word for another with which it is associated. Metonymy works by contiguity rather than similarity. Typically, when someone uses metonymy, they don't wish to transfer qualities (as you do with metaphor). The common figure "The White House said..." is a good example of metonymy, with the term "White House" actually referring to the authorities who are symbolized by the White House, which is an inanimate object that says nothing. The Crown for a kingdom is another example of this kind of metonymy. Metonymy can also refer to the rhetorical strategy of describing something indirectly by referring to things around it: describing someone's house in order to describe them, for example. Advertising frequently uses this kind of metonymy, simply putting a product in close proximity to something we want (beauty, happiness). See also figure of speech, synecdoche, metalepsis.

In cognitive linguistics, metonymy is one of the basic characteristics of cognition. It is extremely common for people to take one well-understood or easy-to-perceive aspect of something and use that aspect to stand either for the thing as a whole or for some other aspect or part of it. For example,

The pen is mightier than the sword.

"Pen" and "sword" denote publishing, and military force respectively.

Reply 2

MentallyIll

rockindemon

what is one? its a literary device

Why is it relevant?

Reply 3

DC_1234

MentallyIll

Why is it relevant?

( I think he's getting people to do his homework for him. 'Metonim' wouldn't get any hits on a search engine )

Reply 4

rockindemon

lol. bit of weird hwk :s-smilie:

no i was told about it my a m8 so asked my teacher and she'd never heard of it so i went off to prove it (net being the usual source) gud way to spend a lesson anyway ;P

Reply 5

DC_1234

rockindemon

lol. bit of weird hwk :s-smilie:

no i was told about it my a m8 so asked my teacher and she'd never heard of it so i went off to prove it (net being the usual source) gud way to spend a lesson anyway ;P

Deeply sad, I know, but one of the highlights of my school career was when I bested a particularly smug history teacher with the difference between etymology and entomology.

The number of people who think entomology is the study of word origins. I ask you! Don't they watch Silence of the Lambs?

Reply 6

MentallyIll

Faboba

( I think he's getting people to do his homework for him. 'Metonim' wouldn't get any hits on a search engine )

...I meant what is metanim's revelance to Cambridge?

Reply 7

The Albatross

maybe he just thinks we're the cleverest, and most likely to answer his question :wink:

Reply 8

DC_1234

scarlet ibis

maybe he just thinks we're the cleverest, and most likely to answer his question :wink:

Out of interest did anyone know what it was without looking it up? I'll hold my hand up and say I was clueless.

Reply 9

OldMan

Faboba

Out of interest did anyone know what it was without looking it up? I'll hold my hand up and say I was clueless.

I thought I did, until I tried to put it into words; then I realised that all I had was a vague, fuzzy concept that it was a bit like metaphor, only different. Thank goodness for google!

Reply 10

MentallyIll

Faboba

Out of interest did anyone know what it was without looking it up? I'll hold my hand up and say I was clueless.

Who really cares anyway? Literary criticism is such a pointless study.

Reply 11

blissy

Faboba

Out of interest did anyone know what it was without looking it up? I'll hold my hand up and say I was clueless.

yup

GOOOOO revision posters!

Reply 12

BazTheMoney

Faboba

Out of interest did anyone know what it was without looking it up? I'll hold my hand up and say I was clueless.

By doing English A-Level I knew it was related to that, but other than that I was clueless; I couldn't of given a definition.

Reply 13

DC_1234

OldMan

I thought I did, until I tried to put it into words; then I realised that all I had was a vague, fuzzy concept that it was a bit like metaphor, only different. Thank goodness for google!

A metaphor is a comparison which does not use the words 'like' or 'as'. Not all that vague.

You'd be amazed how many people don't really know what irony means though.