Reunion Weekend is May 30-June 1

Join us back on campus for Reunion Weekend as we celebrate milestone classes ending in '0 and '5. Don’t miss the chance to reconnect with your classmates.

Saint Ignatius High School

Etymology Word of the Week

Director of Admissions Pat O'Rourke '90, a self-proclaimed "word nerd," brings you his Etymology Word of the Week. Every other week he presents an online Etymology lesson just for fun!
Metonymy - "A figure of speech that consists of the use of the name of one object or concept for that of another to which it is related, or of which it is a part.”

Often confused with the figure of speech synecdoche, in which a part of something is used as a stand-in for the whole, or vice versa. From the Greek noun metonymia meaning “change of name”, which itself comes from the Greek roots meta- meaning “change” and -onym meaning “name.” (All information is from www.wikipedia.org, www.etymonline.com and/or www.dictionary.com).

RELATED WORDS/PHRASES – metastasize, metaphysics, metabolism, metatarsal, metamorphosis, metanoia, metaphor

Example of metonymy: “The Pentagon today announced that...” Pentagon in this instance really means “The Department of Defense” - the Pentagon is just a five-sided building, it cannot speak.

Example of synecdoche: “Nice wheels!” meaning “Hey, cool car.”  Wheels are only part of a car, not the whole car.

GUESS THE APHORISM:  One man’s trash... (scroll for answer)












































 
A: Is another man’s treasure.