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The usage of proper names for common nouns may cause a metaphor too.
Some scientists use widely some characters.
For example. He is a pushkin of our
days (he is a very strong poet). She is a Pushkin. Sometimes the names of animals
are used to denote the human qualities.
For example. She is a fox (she is very
cunny). She is a parrot (She is talkative).
We must differ a metaphor from a simile. In simile we use before the words
«as» and «
like». For example. She is a monkey (metaphor). She is like a monkey
(similar).
Thus, a metaphor is a transfer of the meaning on the basis of comparison.
Herman Paul points out that metaphor can be based on different types of
similarity:
a) similarity of shape,
For example. head (of a cabbage), bottleneck, teeth (of a
saw, a comb);
b) similarity of position,
For example. foot (of a page, of a mountain), head (of a
procession);
c) similarity of function, behaviour
For example. a whip (an official in the British
Parliament whose duty is to see that members were present at the voting);
d) similarity of colour,
For example. orange, hazel, chestnut etc.
In some cases we have a complex similarity,
For example. the leg of a table has a
similarity to a
human leg in its shape, position and function.
Many metaphors are based on parts of a human body,
For example. an eye
of a needle, arms and mouth of a river, head of an army.
A special type of metaphor is when proper names become common nouns,
For example. philistine - a mercenary person, vandals - destructive people, a Don
Juan - a lover of many women etc.
Metonymy is a shift of meaning or a change of meaning caused by a close,
stable, constant connection between two or more objects. Metonomy should not be
mixed up with a metaphor. In metonymy a part is used instead of the whole but
metaphor is based on the likeness.
For example. She has a fox on (meto-nomy). It
means she wears fur-coat made out of the fur of a fox. «
black shirts» was given for
fascists in Italy because the fascists wore black shirts, «
red - coat» means British
soldiers because they wore red uniforms. The kettle is boiling (water is boiling).
Sometimes names of human organs may be used metonymically.
For example. Will you lend me your ear? (listen to me). He has a good hand. (He
has a good handwriting.)
The name of a person can be used to denote a thing connected with that
person.
For example. Do you know Byron? We mean his poems not himself.
For
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