Antonomasia

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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".^[1] Antonomasia is a particular form of metonymy.

The name used to substitute an abstract notion or 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.

[edit] Examples

• "Pelides" or "the son of Peleus" for Achilles.^[1]
• "The Stagirite" for Aristotle.^[1]
• "The little corporal" for Napoleon I.^[1]
• "Macedonia's madman" for Alexander the Great.^[1]
• "the author of Paradise Lost" for Milton. ^[1]
• "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.

[edit] See also

• Eponym

[edit] References