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In:Figurative Thought and Language in Action
Edited by Mario Brdar and Rita Brdar-Szabó
[Figurative Thought and Language 16] 2022
► pp. 59–86

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Targetting metonymic targets

 | University of Osijek
 | ELTE, Budapest
Published online: 28 July 2022
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/ftl.16.03brd
Abstract
In this chapter we propose to treat metonymy as a cognitive operation of conceptual elaboration based on the part-whole relationship that is triggered by the use of an expression (or metonymic vehicle) associated with a certain conceptual cluster (or metonymic source) within a conceptual domain. The activation of the source conceptual cluster opens up a mental space which is dynamically expanded or reduced, in the sense of Ruiz de Mendoza (1999, 2000), so as to come as close as possible to fitting the conceptual givens provided by the co(n)text of use. By approaching metonymy in this manner we are able to explain in a very natural way a number of facts observed in recent research.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Background: Approaching metonymy
    • 1.2The aims and the organization of the chapter
  • 2.Exit metonymic mappings
  • 3.Enter metonymic source elaboration producing metonymic targets in mental spaces
  • 4.Some advantages of our view on the nature of metonymy
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
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