Antonomasia

In rhetoric, antonomasia is a substitution of any epithet or phrase for a proper name, such as "the little corporal" for Napoleon I. The reverse process is also sometimes called antonomasia. The word derives from the Greek word "antonomazein" meaning "to name differently".1911] Antonomasia is a particular form of metonymy.

The name used to substitute an abstract notion or personal trait is commonly called archetype or, more specifically, archetypal name.

A frequent instance of antonomasia in the Late Middle Ages and early Renaissance was the use of the term, "the Philosopher," to refer to Aristotle. A more recent example of the other form of antonomasia (usage of archetypes) was the use of "Solons" for "the legislators" in 1930s journalism, after the semi-legendary Solon, lawgiver of Athens.

Examples

* "Pelides" or "the son of Peleus" for Achilles.
* "The Stagirite" for Aristotle.
* "The little corporal" for Napoleon I.
* "Macedonia's madman" for Alexander the Great.
*"the author of Paradise Lost" for Milton.
* "The Commentator" for Averroes (so named for his commentaries on "The Philosopher" Aristotle's works)
* "The Iron Duke" for the Duke of Wellington.
* "The Bard" for William Shakespeare.
* "The Magpies" for Newcastle United.
* "Old Blue Eyes" for Frank Sinatra.
* "The Scottish play" for Macbeth.
* "The Gipper", "The Great Communicator" for Ronald Reagan.
* "The King" for Elvis Presley.

See "archetypal name" for examples of the opposite kind of antonomasia.

See also

* Eponym

References