Any language is constantly being updated and developed through borrowing and the emergence of new words thanks to the means of figurative literature, which include many varieties of tropes and artistic figures. From a school course in literature, it is known what metonymy is. However, it would be interesting to know how this artistic technique is used in various areas of our life.
Definition of metonymy
Metonymy is, in fact, the transfer of the name of one object (subject, phenomenon, class) to another on the basis of various methods of associations (adjacency, partitiveness, contiguity, and others). There are several types of the concept of metonymy (temporal, logical, spatial), it is also distinguished according to the principle of formation (verbal, adjectives, subject). However, the facts of the use of this phenomenon in various fields are interesting: not only in literature, but also in art, design, architecture and others.
Literature
Ifconsider what metonymy is 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 the work, but also to hide its true meaning. So, for example, in A. S. Pushkin's poem "Arion", the author covers up the political significance of the work, describing the tragic events of the uprising of 1825, with the name of the poet and singer of ancient Gretz
ii. In most cases, metonymy is used to briefly convey the meaning, idea. For example, the heroine of the beautiful theater and film actress Lyudmila Maksakova Rosalind says the following words: “The clock was ticking, the coffee pot was hissing …”. The last phrase implies that the contents of the coffee pot are hissing, but in this construction the meaning is clear and its transmission is carried out most briefly. We often use such stylistic devices in everyday life. However, it is important to highlight that metaphor and metonymy, although they are varieties of the same concept - tropes, but have differences. In a metaphorical transfer, there must be a similarity between these objects, and a comparison can also be made. For example, birches nod – birches sway as if nodding.
Publicism and official style
In newspaper articles and on the pages of news resources, you can find constructions that use metonymytime, country names, government organizations and others. For example, such phrases are often found: “The White House received a delegation from the Netherlands”, “This week has been hot”, and so on. Legal documents use such transfers from an action to an object or result - a subject, an object, as well as from a part to a whole - a person (legal). The official style also does not prohibit the use of such constructions, for example, a transfer from an event or event to people is often used: “The forum supported those who put forward proposals…”.
Art, Design & Architecture
You can understand what metonymy is in art and even in ordinary objects around us, paying attention to such details as, for example, the handles of a jug in the form of animals lowering their heads into a vessel, the legs of chairs made in the form animal paws with claws, and others. Such examples can be found in samples of ancient culture: braziers with palm-handles heated by fire, various ornaments such as meander, rocaille, lambrequin and others that use transfer - imitation of garden motifs in the form of lattices and climbing plants.
Folklore and more
Metonymic phenomena can be found in the culture of any nation, for example, there are many examples in the folklore and ornamental art of the Russian people. These are carved cockerels, skates on roofs or spoons with swan heads, winches, ladles and other items. What is metonymy in photographyart? French photographer Alix Malka, who works in the style of "perfectionism", in his creation "Friends" creates the impression of only the presence of another person, placing a hand with a cigarette leaning on the armrests of a chair in the lens. There are a lot of similar cases of transference, in various interpretations and forms, and this phenomenon enriches our language and life in general, allows us to achieve brevity, convey the meaning of the unsaid with additional elements and details. At the same time, it can be found in every language structure, in 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.