Characteristics of Meaning in Metonymic Expressions

This paper discusses characteristics of meaning in conceptual metonymic expressions. The conclusions are as follows. First, metonymy is one of the most basic and powerful cognitive tools for extending meaning and conceptualizing abstract categories in all levels of production and understanding, and everyday language is an invaluable store of metonymic expressions. Second, conceptual metonymy is a cognitive process in which an entity or vehicle evokes a mental access to another entity or target when the two entities are in the relation of proximity in the same domain. Third, aspects of metonymic expressions are very various and systematic, and three major aspects are extended reference, diminutive reference, and mutual reference. Fourth, conceptual metonymy can be explained as a process in which a vehicle in the relation of proximity obtains a semantic mapping to a target. The vehicle, as a reference point, is motivated by communicative needs. In this case, the conspicuous preferred principle determining the vehicles choice is relative and context-dependent. Fifth, metonymic expressions are the results of efficient strategies which have the effects of economy, efficiency, reality, novelty, and circumlocution