Latin is where we can establish that the etymological origin of the term metonymy is found. Thus, it derives from “metonymy”. This word, in turn, comes from the Greek “metonymia”, which is the result of the sum of two very different lexical components:
-The word “meta”, which can be translated as “together”.
-The noun “onoma”, which is synonymous with “name”.
Metonymy is a trope : a word that is used with a different meaning than its proper meaning, although maintaining a similarity or link with it. In the specific case of metonymy, it is based on naming something with the name of another element, taking the cause for the effect or the part for the whole , or vice versa.
It is easy to understand how metonymy works by analyzing different examples . Take the phrase “I grew up reading Jules Verne.” The expression includes a metonymy, since in reality the person grew up reading books written by Verne , and not literally the author himself.
Similarly, a newspaper may headline: “Goya sold for 2 million euros.” The metonymy appears when referring to the creator of a painting (the Spanish painter Francisco de Goya ) to refer, in reality, to one of his works (which was sold for the aforementioned figure).
“I'm a little dizzy: I've already drunk five glasses” also presents a metonymy. The individual in question drank the contents of five glasses, which were surely filled with some alcoholic beverage because he showed symptoms of drunkenness.
Suppose a woman , upon returning to work after enjoying her vacation, comments: “I found several new faces in the office.” Metonymy, in this context, involves naming a part (the “faces” ) to refer to the whole (the people). The woman who returned to her job after several days encountered new employees, but made reference to their “faces” by appealing to metonymy as a language resource.
In addition to all the above, we cannot ignore the fact that there are different types of metonymy. Specifically, among the most significant we can highlight the following:
-Metonymy of effect by cause. An example would be: “Grandchildren are the joy of our lives.”
-Metonymy of cause by effect. An example of this would be: “I lack bread and wine.”
-Metonymy of the place where it occurs. Example: “Have a Rioja.”
-Metonymy of continent by content. An example could be: “He had two drinks.”
-Metonymy of trademarks by object. In this case, an example would be: “He ate a Danone.”
-Metonymy of a part for the whole. An example of this type of metonymy could be: “There was not a soul in the village.”
-Metonymy of author by work. An example could be: “I'm at home listening to Beethoven.”
In the same way, there are also metonyms such as symbols for things symbolized, the whole for the part, the physical for the moral, the matter for the object, an instrument for the person who uses it...