engleski

Metonymic zooming in and out within domains in the process of meaning construction

In this presentation we study the phenomenon of multiple activation of metonymic targets using as our data newspaper texts containing metonymically used names of capitals, including some prepositional phrases that apparently function as metonymies (Brdar-Szabó & Brdar 2003). We are in particular concerned with how such metonymic networks (involving both metonymic tiers and chains) can be modeled so as to account for how metonymic meanings are maintained or dispensed with in a text. In functional terms, metonymies are known to be very efficient mental shortcuts. According to Panther & Radden (1999: 13), metonymy has the advantage of communicating additional information. It is a conceptual operation where one content stands for another, while both are actually activated at least to some degree. Informally speaking, metonymy is an efficient means of saying two things for the price of one, i.e. two concepts are activated while only one is explicitly mentioned (cf. Radden & Kövecses 1999: 19). However, it is often the case that we actually get more than two things for the price of one. Metonymic expressions can in fact simultaneously activate multiple metonymic targets that may compete for attention and salience. At the same time, we observe that a single metonymic target can be activated by means of more than one metonymic source, e.g. governments can be referred to indirectly by means of capitals or names of countries. Such co-metonyms can be used interchangeably within a given piece of discourse, and may cross or interrupt direct metonymic chains. Our chief goal in this presentation is, following Barcelona’ s call (2005: 336) for detailed analyses of the phenomenon of metonymic chaining in discourse, to note regularities in the online construction of metonymic meanings in the case of multiple activation of targets as a dynamic and flexible process, in particular paying attention to the alternation between domain expansion and reduction taking place at subsequent metonymic tiers and between co-metonyms, which we expect to contribute towards a better understanding of asymmetric interrelationships between various subdomains within complex functional domains.

metonymy; metonymic chains; functional domains; meaning construction

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