Tropes 1. Metonymy

It is a figure of speech that consists in substituting the name of one thing for that of another, to which the former bears a well-known enclose relation (ex. The round game-table was happy). The simplest case of metonymy is synecdoche. Synecdoche is a trope in which a part is made to stand for the whole, an individual for the class and indefinite number for definite one:

1. a part stands for the whole (ABC - alphabet, a motor - a car, a hand - a worker, a head -a boss);

2. the whole is used to denote a part (This fox suits you);

3. the name of the container is used instead of the thing contained (I don't like this dish. Have a glass of orange juice. The kettle is boiling);

4. the name of an organ may be used to denote a quality (to have an eye for painting; his heart is better than his head);

5. the name of the place is used to denote what is going on at that place (The school took part in the discussion);

6. the name of the material is used to denote a product (iron - утюг, heavy metal - артиллерия, gold – золотая монета, silver – серебряная монета);

7. the name of the instrument is used to denote the agent (a sword - солдат, a pen -писатель);

8. the name of a writer, artist, composer stands to denote their works (I don't like Dickens);

9. the name of passion is used to name the object (Here is my love)

Stylistic functions of metonymy

Metonymy brings out the most prominent qualities of a thing or idea from the writer's or speaker's point of view. Most of the cases listed above are trite metonymies as they have no stylistic coloring. But the main principles of forming the metonymy are used to make living stylistic metonymies. Stylistic metonymy is an unexpected connection of two objects:

1. it may be a connection between a feature or a sign of a person and a person himself (Across the country we went followed by a couple of black cars full of moustaches);

2. It may be a connection between a detail of clothes which a person wears and a person himself (The fairy frock rushed through the passage and disappeared);

3. between the tool of labour, the labour itself and its results (I made a pen earn my living). Several types of antonomasia belong to metonymy:

1. the name of the inventor is used to denote his invention (mackintosh - Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Scottish designer);

2. names of historic persons are used to denote things which were associated with them (a sandwich – слово связано с именем одного графа из герцогства Сандвич, a garibaldi –красная рубашка,которую носил Гарибальди);

3. common nouns formed from geographical names (china - фарфop, holland –хлопчатобумажная ткань, champagne –шампанское ).

2. Antonomasia

It is the use of proper names as common nouns, and common nouns as proper names. The stylistic function is achieved by stating similarity to certain qualities associated with the used proper names. There may be antonomasia proper. It is the transference of some qualities typical of definite people or personages to other living beings to characterize them. (Ex. He is Othello. They are Romeo and Juliet.)

Common nouns are very often used by writers to characterize the personages. These are the so-called "speaking names". Words denoting abstract notions are used as proper names. So, in the passage below the name of the giant is "Despair" and his wife's name is "Diffidence". (Ex. Now Giant Despair had a wife, and her name was Diffidence; so when he was gone to bed, he told his wife that he had taken a couple of prisoners.)