Page 350 - Gabrijela Kišiček and Igor Ž. Žagar (eds.), What do we know about the world? Rhetorical and argumentative perspectives, Digital Library, Educational Research Institute, Ljubljana 2013
P. 350
What Do We Know about the World?
It is important to note that this combination is not some third possi-
ble type of antonomasia. All of these examples are classical antonoma-
sias (they substitute proper names), but the head part of the phrase is
not metonymic and this feature distinguishes them from typical exam-
ples of the classical type. Furthermore, this combined type often con-
tains proper names which are again sometimes used metonymically and
sometimes metaphorically. Examples like the Swiss Wizzard or the Gi-
ant from Šalata contain proper names in the dependent part which im-
part the metonymic “truth” to their metaphoric head parts.
Conversely, when the head part contains a proper name (the bas-
ketball Mozart, the Croatian Ibiza), things get even more complex be-
cause the head part already constitutes Vossian antonomasia.3 As it is
the case with all other “simple” Vossian antonomasias, the proper name
is reduced to one specific meaning while other connotations or alter-
nate meanings are disregarded. An identical process occurs when com-
mon nouns are used metaphorically (Marković, 2010), so this could be
taken as an additional argument for denying the recogniton of antono-
masia. However, this argument only shows that the processes behind the
creation of Vossian antonomasia are basically metaphoric. Antonoma-
sia, nevertheless, must be treated as a separate trope because it always in-
volves a proper name which is always treated as a specific linguistic fea-
ture (Marković, 2010; Van Langendonck, 2007).
1.2. Sports Discourse and Antonomasia
In order to understand the use of antonomasia in sports discourse,
it is necessary to point out its figurative characteristics. Sports discourse
can be defined as the subtype of news (or journalistic) style. This gener-
al style frequently uses tropes (especially metaphor and metonymy), and
the sports news sub-style sometimes seems to be nothing but tropical.
One of the reasons for using figures and tropes in the type of discourse
whose primary function is informing may be found in the need to have
an emotional impact on the recipient (Runjić-Stoilova, 2012).
Antonomasia is used in sports discourse mostly in its first function
– it substitutes the names of athletes, clubs, national teams, as well as
coaches, sports arenas etc. The relatively frequent use of antonomasia in
sports discourse can certainly be ascribed to the specific “problem” of
3 This subtype could be described as Vossian antonomasia inside the classical one. News style fre-
quently uses this kind of antonomasia because the Vossian element has strong connotations for a
specific audience (e. g. the Switzerland of Latin America for Uruguay or the Venice of the North for sever-
al European cities).
It is important to note that this combination is not some third possi-
ble type of antonomasia. All of these examples are classical antonoma-
sias (they substitute proper names), but the head part of the phrase is
not metonymic and this feature distinguishes them from typical exam-
ples of the classical type. Furthermore, this combined type often con-
tains proper names which are again sometimes used metonymically and
sometimes metaphorically. Examples like the Swiss Wizzard or the Gi-
ant from Šalata contain proper names in the dependent part which im-
part the metonymic “truth” to their metaphoric head parts.
Conversely, when the head part contains a proper name (the bas-
ketball Mozart, the Croatian Ibiza), things get even more complex be-
cause the head part already constitutes Vossian antonomasia.3 As it is
the case with all other “simple” Vossian antonomasias, the proper name
is reduced to one specific meaning while other connotations or alter-
nate meanings are disregarded. An identical process occurs when com-
mon nouns are used metaphorically (Marković, 2010), so this could be
taken as an additional argument for denying the recogniton of antono-
masia. However, this argument only shows that the processes behind the
creation of Vossian antonomasia are basically metaphoric. Antonoma-
sia, nevertheless, must be treated as a separate trope because it always in-
volves a proper name which is always treated as a specific linguistic fea-
ture (Marković, 2010; Van Langendonck, 2007).
1.2. Sports Discourse and Antonomasia
In order to understand the use of antonomasia in sports discourse,
it is necessary to point out its figurative characteristics. Sports discourse
can be defined as the subtype of news (or journalistic) style. This gener-
al style frequently uses tropes (especially metaphor and metonymy), and
the sports news sub-style sometimes seems to be nothing but tropical.
One of the reasons for using figures and tropes in the type of discourse
whose primary function is informing may be found in the need to have
an emotional impact on the recipient (Runjić-Stoilova, 2012).
Antonomasia is used in sports discourse mostly in its first function
– it substitutes the names of athletes, clubs, national teams, as well as
coaches, sports arenas etc. The relatively frequent use of antonomasia in
sports discourse can certainly be ascribed to the specific “problem” of
3 This subtype could be described as Vossian antonomasia inside the classical one. News style fre-
quently uses this kind of antonomasia because the Vossian element has strong connotations for a
specific audience (e. g. the Switzerland of Latin America for Uruguay or the Venice of the North for sever-
al European cities).
