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LING150/University of Oregon |
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2. In all three cases, the first usage is the earlier one.
In a., a physical act is extended to more abstract, more mental action. The abstract action is seen to resemble the physical action, so it is a metaphorical shift.
In b., the spatial notion to 'away' is extended to things that have been figuratively "placed away" from you. In this sense, it appears to be metaphorical. But also notice that we could look at it as an extension from the action of 'placing something away' from to the thing acted upon. Looked at in this way, there is cause / effect relationship, which is a characteristic of metonymy.
In c., there is a shift from meaning 'pertaining to a certain person / being' to 'pertaining to a characteristic of the person / being'. This probably is a metonymic shift.
4.
a. Metaphor -The form of the spaghetti resembles worms.
b. Metonymy - The description of the body part is used to refer to the whole entity.
c. Metaphor - The function of the school is to nurture the students in the same way that a seed bed nurtures the young plants. It is probably no accident that this kind of metaphor developed in a predominately Christian nation: Jesus often talked of his preaching as "planting" or "sowing seeds."
d. Metaphor - A physical action is seen as resembling a mental event.
e. Metonymy - One characteristic of cities is that they are often centers of government, fashion, learning, and other aspects of "sophisticated" life. Here is a word that literally means 'pertaining to the whole' is used only to mean 'pertaining to a single feature' of the whole.
f. Metaphor -The action of the muscles looks like little mice running around under the skin (or at least it did to some people).