What is metonymy?

Any language is constantly updated and developed by borrowing and the emergence of new words through means of figurative literature, which include many varieties of tropes and artistic figures. From the school course on literature, we know what metonymy is. However, it would be interesting to know how this artistic device is used in various spheres of our life.

Definition of metonymy

Metonymy is, in fact, the transfer of the name of one subject (subject, phenomenon, class) to another on the basis of various modes of association (contiguity, partitiveness, contiguity and others). There are several types of the concept of metonymy (temporal, logical, spatial), and it is distinguished by the principle of education (verbal, adjectives, subject). However, the facts of using this phenomenon in various fields are interesting: not only in literature, but also in art, design, architecture and others.

Literature

If we consider what is metonymy in literature, then we can say that this is one of the ways to enrich the work and create additional interest in artwork. Metonymic constructions were especially popular in the century before last, and they were used not only to decorate a work, but also to hide its true meaning. For example, in Pushkin's poem "Arion," the author covers the political significance of the work, describing the tragic events of the 1825 uprising, the name of the poet and singer of the ancient Greets And. In most cases, metonymy is used to briefly convey meaning, ideas. For example, the heroine of the beautiful theater and film actress Lyudmila Maksakova Rosalind pronounces these words: "The clock ticked, the coffee pot hissed ...". In the last sentence it is meant that the contents of the coffee pot are hissing, but in this construction the meaning is clear and the transfer is most short. Such stylistic devices, we often use in everyday life. However, it is important to emphasize that metaphor and metonymy, although they are varieties of one concept - trails, but have differences. In the metaphorical transfer between these objects there must be a similarity, and also a comparison can be made. For example, birches nod - birches swing, as if nodding.

Publicism and official style

In newspaper articles and on the pages of news resources, you can find such designs that use metonymy of time, names of countries, government organizations and others. For example, often there are such phrases: "The White House has received a delegation from the Netherlands", "This week has passed hotly" and so on. In legal documents such transfers are applied from the action to the object or result - the subject, the object, and also from the part to the whole - the person (legal). The official style also does not prohibit the use of such constructions, for example, it is often used to transfer from an event or event to people: "The Forum supported the nominees ...".

Art, Design and Architecture

To understand what metonymy is in art and even in the ordinary objects surrounding us, you can pay attention to such details as, for example, the jug handles in the form of animals that have lowered their heads into a vessel, legs of armchairs made in the form of animal claws with claws, and others. Such examples can be found in samples of ancient culture: braziers with palm handles, heated from fire, various ornaments such as meander, rocaille, lambrequin and others, in which the transfer is used - imitation of garden motifs in the form of lattices and climbing plants.

Folklore and others

Metonymic phenomena can be found in the culture of any people, for example, in the folklore and ornamental art of the Russian people there are many examples. These are cut-out cockerels, skates on roofs or spoons with swans, winches, buckets and other items. What is metonymy in photographic art? French photographer Alix Malka, working in the style of "perfectionism", in her creation of "Friend" creates the impression of only the presence of another person, placing in the lens an arm with a cigarette, leaning on the armrests of the chair. There are many similar cases of transfer, in various interpretations and types, and this phenomenon enriches our language and life in general, allows us to achieve brevity, to convey the meaning of the unspoken by additional elements and details. At the same time, it can be found in every language structure, for every nation, for example, metonymy in English practically does not differ from Russian. Here you can also find all kinds of transfer of subject names.