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Metonymy

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Metonymy
Metonymy—is a transfer of meaning based upon the association of contiguity-proximity. In metonymy the name of one thing is applied to another with which it has some permanent or temporary connection: He felt as though he must find a sympathetic intelligent ear (Th drieser).
The transfer of meanings may be based on temporal spatial, casual, functional, instrumental and other relations.
Like metaphors metonymy can be divided into trite metonymy-i.e. words of metonymic origin and genuine metonymy.
In trite metonymy the transferred meaning is established in the semantic structure of the word as a secondary meaning. In the course of time its figurativeness and emotional colouring fades away.
Eg: nickel, the coin of the US and Canada worth 5cent: hand, a workman; bench, a judge; cradle, the place where something begins; grave, death;house, the people voting after a debate.
If the interrelation between the dictionary and contextual meanings stands out clearly then we can speak about the expressiveness of metonymy and in this easy we have genuine metonymy.
In most traditional metonymies the contextual meanings are fixed in dictionaries and have a note –fig .Metonymy may be divided into figures of speech established in the language and individual speech. Metonymy established in the language is frequent in colloquial speech. E.g. the whole table was stirring with impatience .e.g. the people sitting round the table were impatient. Green fingers ,people who have skill for growing gardens blue –collars-workers, a symbol of non-manual labor .
Metonymy is based on different relations of contiguity.
1) a leading significant feature of a person can be used instead of its possessor:Who is the moustache?-(who is the man?). Olive uniforms (young men); cotton prints (women ) . 2) a symbol can be used for an object : Then I think of taking silk ( to become a lawyer).
3) The name of the place can be used for somebody or something connected with it; It was too late for the river (a

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