Metonymy

The kettle is boiling.

The gallery applauded.

(She turned round and took a long look at her grandmother’s blackness);

6)the container may stand for the thing contained or vise versa (The kettle boils);

7) an abstract noun may stand for a concrete noun (Labour demonstrated in the streets);

8) the material may stand for the thing made of it (There was a shower of steel on the trenches);

9) the name of the creator may stand for his creation (We bougnt two Rembrands).

6. SYNECDOCHE

Synecdoche is the simplest kind of metonymic relations which can be called quantitative. It is when a part stands for the whole, or the whole stands for a part.

Synecdoche

“Red Hood”, “Hands wanted”, “I am reading books.” These wheels will drive you at your pleasure.

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7. ANTONOMASIA

Antonomasia is the use of a proper name for a common noun or vice versa. The examples of metonymic antonomasia are:

1)using the name of a famous personality for his characteristic feature;

2)usingageographicalnamewheresomeeventtookplaceforthe very event;

3)using the name of some establishment to denote its policy;

4)using geographical names for things that originated from there;

5)naming things for their inventors.

Metonymic antonomasia

famous personality : He is the Napoleon of crime. event : He met his Waterloo.

establishment : the White House. geographical name : china, champaign. inventors : Amper, Volt, Makintosh.

The examples of metaphoric antonomasia are:

1)using a proper noun for a common one. The proper name in this case expresses the most striking feature in the personage’s character;

2)using a common noun as a proper name. The proper name serves the man’s main characteristic.

Metaphoric antonomasia

A proper name for a common noun : “Don Juan” for an amorous man; “Othello” for a jealous man.

A common noun for a proper name : Bekky Sharp, Коробочка.

The appeal to imagination in metonymy is much weaker than in metaphor. Nevertheless, it is a powerful means of poetic expression because of its conciseness with which the metonymy can pick out one particular aspect of a complex things or idea making it easier to understand.

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8. PERIPHRASIS

Periphrasis is a device which both names and describes. The name of a person or thing is substituted by a descriptive phrase. This is the way of speaking around a topic, and not stating it directly. Periphrasis may be trite or original.

Periphrasis

trite: man-in-the street, organs of vision

original: The little boy was deprived of what can never be replaced.

Periphrasis may be logical or figurative. Logical periphrasis is based on some inherent or prominent feature of the described object. Figurative periphrasis is based either on metaphor or on metonymy.

Periphrasis

logical: weak sex – strong sex, guardian of the public order. figurative: root of all evil, young blood, head-hunters.

9. EUPHEMISM

Euphemism is a variety of periphrasis. It is a word or phrase, which substitutes an idea or a thing which the author does not want to name directly, or which he finds unpleasant. A euphemism calls in the reader’s (listener’s) mind the word it stands for.

Euphemism

to die – to go to the forefathers; to pass away; to join the majority; to kick the bucket; to depart this life

drunk – fresh; high; merry; three sheets to the wind; high as a kite

Nowadays in English we may distinguish between the following groups of euphemisms:

1)traditional, i.e. religious or moral euphemisms which have been long in usage, and become clichés;

2)political, parliamentary and medical euphemisms;

3)individual euphemisms.

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traditional: ‘God’ – Heaven, Jove, Goodness, Lot; ‘Devil’ – Old Nick, Deuce, the Prince of Darkness;

political: ‘capitalism’ – free enterprise; ‘the poor’ – less fortunate people; ‘hunger’ – undernourishment;

individual: ‘What did I tell you! He’s round the twis t! He’s got rats in the bottle!’ (R. Dahl)

10. EPITHET

Epithet (from Greek epitheton “addition”) is an expressive word or phrase used to characterize a thing, a phenomenon, or a person. This stylistic device is based on the interplay of emotive and logical meanings of an adverbial word or phrase used to characterize an object so as to give an individual perception and evaluation of some features and properties. Compare the following word combinations containing logical attributes such as “cold wind”, “red pen”. Compare also the combinations that do not contain the inherent qualities of the described objects such as “wild wind”, “smiling sun”, “the voiceless sand”. These word combinations contain epithets: wild, smiling, voiceless.

Epithets

trite epithets: “heartfelt thanks”, “wine-dark sea”, “blood-red sky”, “fleet-footed Achilles”, “stone-cold heart”, “apple-faced woman” , “sleepless pillow”

original epithets: Oh, dreamy, gloomy, friendly trees! (Trench) She gave me a you-know-what-men-are-like look.

11. OVER-STATEMENT (HYPERBOLE)

Over-statement, or hyperbole, is an expression of an idea in an exceedingly exaggerated language used for emphasis or effect. Stylistic over-statement contributes to an elevated mood or shows a satirical attitude. There are many colloquial hyperboles which are stereotyped.

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