s Thoughts from the Physics Chick: Words which are their own holonyms

Monday, November 12, 2007

Words which are their own holonyms

Refrigerator = Refrigerator + Freezer

Day = Day + Night

Classical Music = Baroque Music + Classical Music + Romantic Music

5 Comments:

At November 17, 2007 12:52 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

How is that different than metonymy?

 
At November 20, 2007 5:06 PM, Blogger ego non said...

Katya--

This is completely unrelated but do you know if Arwen's posted package receiving address is complete? I'm wondering about a postal code or a city or something . . . It just looks a little sparse on the info.
Thanks,
e

 
At November 20, 2007 9:58 PM, Blogger Katya said...

emily - Fixed. (I called the MTC office to double-check.)

jenn - In a part / whole relationship, the meronym is the part and the holonym is the whole. Since these words are their own holonyms, they are also their own meronyms.

 
At November 21, 2007 2:28 PM, Blogger Katya said...

jenn - Sorry, I misread your question the first time. I'd say that the difference between the two is that metonymy is largely figurative, while these seem to be more literal meanings.

I.e., the phrase "the pen is mightier than the sword" means that words are mightier than violence, roughly. However, if you look up "pen" in a dictionary, you won't find it defined as "words." On the other hand, if you look up "refrigerator" you'll find a definition which includes the whole unit as well as a definition which includes only the portion which keeps food cool, but not frozen.

 
At December 07, 2007 4:19 PM, Blogger Th. said...

.

Dang it.

I came up with a couple for your list and now I can't remember them.....

 

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