Definition

Noun: 1. Metonymy: A figure of speech in which a thing or concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with it, rather than by its own name. This involves substituting a related term, such as using the container for the thing contained, the part for the whole, or the instrument for the user.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • "Trong câu 'Anh ấy đọc Nguyễn Du rất kỹ', từ 'Nguyễn Du' là một hoán dụ chỉ tác phẩm của ông." (In the sentence 'He reads Nguyễn Du carefully,' the word 'Nguyễn Du' is a metonymy referring to his literary works.)
  • "Phép hoán dụ 'tay súng' dùng để chỉ người lính." (The metonymy 'rifle hand' is used to refer to a soldier.)
  • Giáo viên giải thích sự khác biệt giữa phép ẩn dụ và phép hoán dụ. (The teacher explained the difference between metaphor and metonymy.)

Advanced Usage

• Common types of metonymy (hoán dụ):
  • Container for the contained: "Cả phòng im lặng lắng nghe." (The whole room fell silent to listen.) -> 'room' refers to the people in it.
  • Producer for the product: "Tôi mua một chai Bordeaux." (I bought a bottle of Bordeaux.) -> 'Bordeaux' refers to wine from that region.
  • Symbol for the thing symbolized: "The White House issued a statement." (Nhà Trắng ra thông cáo.) -> 'The White House' refers to the U.S. presidential administration.
  • Part for the whole (Synecdoche, often considered a subtype): "Cần thêm nhiều lao động chân tay." (We need more manual labor.) -> 'hands and feet' refers to physical workers.

Variants and Related Words

• Hoán dụ học (n): Metonymics. The study of metonymy.
• Quan hệ hoán dụ (n): Metonymic relation. The associative relationship that enables metonymy.

Synonyms

• Sự chuyển đổi tên gọi: The shifting/changing of a name.
• Cách gọi thay thế: Substitutive naming.

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Nói hoán dụ: To speak using metonymy.
  • Nhà văn thường nói hoán dụ để tạo hình ảnh sinh động. (Writers often speak using metonymy to create vivid imagery.)
• Sử dụng phép hoán dụ: To employ/use metonymy.
  • Việc sử dụng phép hoán dụ giúp câu văn hàm súc hơn. (Using metonymy makes the writing more concise.)

noun

1. metonymy