Rici Ramadani: Metonymy and Proverbs

What is metonymy?

Metonymy is a figure of speech in which a thing or concept is not called by its own name, but by the name of something intimately associated with that thing or concept.

Purpose of a Metonymy

As with other literary devices, one of the main purposes of using a metonymy is to add flavor to the writing. Instead of just repeatedly saying, "the staff at the restaurant" or naming all of the elements of a dinner each time you want to refer to the meal, one word breaks up some of that awkwardness.Using a metonymy serves a double purpose - it breaks up any awkwardness of repeating the same phrase over and over and it changes the wording to make the sentence more interesting.

Here are some examples of metonymy:

· Crown. (For the power of a king.)

· The White House. (Referring to the American administration.)

· Dish. (To refer an entire plate of food.)

· The Pentagon. (For the Department of Defense and the offices of the U.S. Armed Forces.)

· Pen. (For the written word.)

· Sword - (For military force.)

· Hollywood. (For US Cinema.)

· Hand. (For help.)

Consider this quote which is a metonymic adage coined by English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton in 1839 for his play Richelieu; Or the Conspiracy

"The pen is mightier than the sword."

Sentences Using a Metonymy

These sentences will further enhance your appreciation and understanding of metonymies. The metonymy is underlined.

We must wait to hear from the crown until we make any further decisions.

The White House will be announcing the decision around noon today.

If we do not fill out the forms properly, the suits will be after us shortly.

She's planning to serve the dish early in the evening.

The cup is quite tasty.

The Pentagon will be revealing the decision later on in the morning.

The restaurant has been acting quite rude lately.

Learn how to use your eyes properly!

The library has been very helpful to the students this morning.

That individual is quite the silver fox.

Can you please give me a hand carrying this box up the stairs?

The United States will be delivering the new product to us very soon.

Saint Thomas will be coming to the soup kitchen to help out next Sunday after Mass.

The Yankees have been throwing the ball really well, and they have been hitting better than they have been in the past few seasons.

Definition of Proverb

A proverb is most often a phrase or saying that gives advice in an obscure way. The phrase usually has an allegorical type of message behind that when first heard may seem a little odd. Usually a proverb is very well known because of its popular use in colloquial language.

Use of Popular Proverbs in Everyday Speech

Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

All that glitters is not gold.

An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.

The old horse in the stable still yearns to run

Proverbs surround us everyday. Whether at work, school, church or during a conversation with a friend, the likelihood of hearing a proverb is high. With the influx of different cultures and traditions in the United States, it is not uncommon to come in contact with many examples of proverbs.People who have a strong religious background might look to the Book of Proverbs in the Bible for examples of proverbs. Others might find comfort in proverbs from different cultures.

Proverbs Throughout the World

v African Proverbs

Across the vast continent of Africa, many African nations disseminated proverbs that were meant to educate and inspire those who used them.Here are a few examples of African proverbs.

“A tree is known by its fruit” – (of Zulu origin - this means that success is shown by the deeds.)

“I have been bitten by a tsetse fly” – (of Tanzanian origin – this means that a person will continuously be a pest until you pay off a debt.)

“The word of friend makes you cry – the word of an enemy makes you laugh” – (of Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger – this means that a friend will tell you the truth and sometimes the truth hurts, whereas an enemy will only lead you down the wrong path by giving you advice that seems good but is not.)

v Asian Proverbs

Some examples of Asian proverbs include the following:

“The old horse in the stable still yearns to run” – (this means that those who are older still have things they would like to accomplish.)

“A spark can start a fire that burns the entire prairie” – (this means that a small problem can snowball into a huge problem that can cause major damage.)

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” – (this means that teaching people is better in the long run because it gives them the skills to provide for themselves as opposed to you doing things for them.)

v American Proverbs

Some examples of American based proverbs include:

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder” – (this means that when you separate from someone that you love by putting distance between you that you will inevitably love them more and yearn to see them.)

"All that glitters is not gold” – (this means that just because something looks good, does not necessarily mean that it is good.)

"A monkey in silk is a monkey no less” – (this means that just because someone dresses fancy does not necessarily mean that they are fancy or of good character.)

v English Proverbs

Some examples of English proverbs include:

Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

It’s no use locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.

Laugh and the world laughs with you, weep and you weep alone.

See a pin and pick it up, all the day you’ll have good luck; see a pin and let it lie, bad luck you’ll have all day.

‘Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.

Monday’s child is fair of face/Tuesday’s child is full of grace,/Wednesday’s child is full of woe,/Thursday’s child has far to go,/Friday’s child is loving and giving,/Saturday’s child works hard for its living/And a child that’s born on the Sabbath day/Is fair and wise and good and gay.

v Proverbs from Other Countries

Arabic Proverb: An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.

Finnish proverb: Even a small star shines in the darkness.

Italian Proverb: After the game, the king and pawn go into the same box.

Jewish Proverb: God could not be everywhere and therefore he made mothers.

Russian Proverb: Better to stumble than make a slip of the tongue.

Spanish Proverb: Since we cannot get what we like, let us like what we can get.