Metonymy in English and Arabic

Abstract

The aim of the present paper is to explore metonymy as one of the major figures of speech in English as well as Arabic. It has been divided into three chapters. The first deals with the concept of metonymy in English through some definitions by Western linguists and rhetoricians. Types of metonymy are provided in the second section whereas the third section is reserved for the functions of metonymy. The second chapter is concerned with metonymy in Arabic. The same approach adopted in the first chapter is followed here. Definitions of metonymy by Arab linguists and rhetoricians are surveyed followed by a section on types of metonymy and a section on the functions of metonymy in Arabic. In the third chapter, similarities and differences in terms of definitions, types and functions between English and Arabic are indicated. The conclusions are summed up at the end of the paper