Original scientific paper

Metaphor and metonymy as the basis of naming

Dunja Brozović Rončević ; Institute of Croatian Language and Linguistics, Zagreb, Croatia
Milena Žic Fuchs ; Faculty of Philosophy, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

One of the major “innovations” Cognitive linguistics introduces is the re-evaluation and re-interpretation of the traditional notions of metaphor and metonymy. Metaphor and metonymy are primarily viewed as cognitive models or processes by means of which we conceptualize and categorize the world around us. Although research on metaphor and metonymy has been very intensive within the theoretical framework of Cognitive Linguistics during the last fifteen years, so far this approach has not been applied to onomastic data. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to see how productive can the cognitive linguistic view of metaphor and metonymy be in the creation of proper names from common nouns. Data from Croatian is analyzed, especially names connected to the basic conceptual metaphor PEOPLE ARE PLANTS. The analysis particularly stresses the importance of cultural salience and convention.

Keywords

onomastics; proper names; cognitive linguistics; metaphor; metonymy

Hrčak ID:

22313

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/22313

Publication date:

28.3.2007.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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