Metonymy

The Encyclopaedia Britannica defines metonymy (from Greek metōnymia, “change of name” or “misnomer”) as “a figure of speech in which the name of an object or concept is replaced with a word closely related to or suggested by the original, such as ‘crown’ to mean ‘king’ (‘The power of the crown was mortally weakened’) or an author for his works (‘I’m studying Shakespeare’). Metonymy is closely related to synecdoche, which is the naming of a part for the whole or a whole for the part, and it is a common poetic device” (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

A commonly used expression, “the pen is mightier than the sword,” is an example of metonymy used in colloquial English. As mentioned above, one of the more popular ways to use metonymy in everyday conversation is by referring to the author for his works: “Have you seen the new Nolan?” or expressions such as “The kitchen is busy,” when referring to the people who work there rather than the area, or “The Oval Office,” when talking about the President of the United States and the U.S. government.

Examples from literature:
In William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Mark Antony says, “Lend me your ears.” This character asks people to pay attention to what he says. 

Another example could be the biblical phrase, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). Here, "rock" represents Peter (with Petros being Greek for “rock”) and symbolizes his strong faith.

Works Cited:
Darshana Das, Gloria Lotha, Emily Rodriguez, Thinley Kalsang Bhutia, Aakanksha Gaur, Amy Tikkanen, J.E. Luebering, and the Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Metonymy.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., Oct 3, 2024.
The Holy Bible, New International Version. (2011). Matthew 16:18. Zondervan.

                                                                                                                                                                        Petr Ulman  483048