Katarina Rasulić
University of Belgrade, Serbia
ekv@eunet.rs
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Focus: Metonymic patterns that recruit concepts
from the human domain as vehicles (e.g. AUTHOR
FOR HIS WORK) or as targets (e.g. PIECE OF CLOTHING FOR
PERSON) – in English and Serbian
Some of the stock examples in the cognitive
linguistic literature on metonymy include humans
as vehicles or targets – variously considered within
broader classifications of metonymic mappings
and/or with regard to the ontological and cognitive
salience of participants in a metonymic mapping
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Humans – “very good reference points in
metonymic transfers” (Langacker 1993)
“HUMAN OVER NON-HUMAN” – one of the basic
cognitive principles of relative salience
(Langacker 1993), governing the selection of
the preferred vehicle in default metonymies
(Kövecses and Radden 1998)
“On the whole, humans are not very good
metonymic targets” (Handl 2011)
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1) What metonymic vehicles commonly afford
mental access to HUMANS as desired targets?
2) What target concepts are commonly accessed
via HUMANS as metonymic vehicles?
3) To what extent is human-related metonymic
conceptualization in English and Serbian
language/culture sensitive?
4) What does the metonymic portrayal of human
beings reveal about the way people conceive of
themselves?
5) What does human-related metonymic
conceptualization reveal about the nature of
metonymy?
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917 examples of human-related metonymies in English
and Serbian (without word-class change)
Sources of data:
- linguistic literature
(Ullmann 1957, Lakoff and Johnson 1980, Norrick
1981, Nunberg 1995, Papafragou 1995, Gortan-Premk
1997, Kövecses and Radden 1998, Kovačević 1999,
Panther and Radden 1999, Barcelona 2000, 2003,
Ruiz de Mendoza Ibanez 2000, Alač and Coulson
2004, Peirsman and Geeraerts 2006, Warren
2006, Rasulić 2006, 2010, Handl 2011 etc.)
- electronic corpora (BNC, NKSSJ)
- selected sources of authentic language usage
(internet forums and chats, conversations)
Qualitative analysis, descriptive, contrastive, usageoriented
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A parallel overview of the most productive
metonymic patterns
1) X FOR HUMAN
2) HUMAN FOR X
found in both English and Serbian
Language/culture specific aspects (lexical and
grammatical)
Human-related metonymic conceptualization and
the nature of metonymy
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A new face in the band
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High costs per head
A city of a thousand souls
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We need young brains now
The world’s greatest minds
Fresh blood in the team
Where lonely hearts meet
A hungry mouth to feed
Hungry stomachs don’t care
about philosophy
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English
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Poznata lica u sali ‘Familiar faces
in the room’
Koliko to dođe po glavi? ‘How
much is it per head’
U selu ima dvesta duša ‘There are
two hundred souls in the village’
Odliv mladih mozgova ‘The drain
of young brains’
Najveći umovi sveta ‘The world’s
greatest minds’
Imamo svežu krv u firmi ‘We have
fresh blood in the firm’
Zna mnogo usamljenih srca ‘(S)he
knows many lonely hearts’
Hraniti tolika gladna usta ‘To feed
so many hungry mouths’
Gladni stomaci ne idu u šoping
‘Hungry stomachs don’t go
shopping’
Serbian
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We are really short of hands
Who can argue with the
fastest legs in the game?
Use the stairs, you lazy
butts!
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Ormonde Jayne’s expert
noses will help sniff out
your own signature scent.
English
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Trebaće nam još jedan par
ruku ‘We’ll need another pair
of hands’
HSV traži osam miliona evra za
najbrže noge Evrope ‘HSV is
asking for eight millions for
the fastest legs of Europe’
Muka mi je od tih lenjih guzica
‘I am sick of all those lazy
butts’
Nazdravlje svima vama
junačkim jetrama! ‘Cheers to
all of you heroic livers!’
Serbian
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Are men designed to chase
skirts?
Green Berets are highly
educated.
The redcoats were trapped.
A dozen white coats
marched into the room.
He wished to impress all
the crowns of Europe.
The young woman nodded
to the tuxedo.
English
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On i dalje trči za suknjama ‘He is
still chasing skirts’
Crvene beretke blokirale autoput
‘Red Berets have blocked the
highway’
Crveni mundiri pucali su na masu
u Bostonu ‘The redcoats shot at
the mass in Boston’
Beli mantili štrajkuju pred Vladom
‘White coats are protesting in front
of the government’
Poslednju reč ima Kruna ‘The
Crown has the last word’
Fantomke su došle spremne.
‘The balaclavas have come
prepared’
Serbian
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Colette: One of Paris‘s
sharpest pens.
Please ask the cameras not
to film yet.
Have you met our first
violin?
The guns were ordered to
fire.
English
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Za to se zalažu najveća domaća
pera. ‘The greatest domestic pens
appeal for that’
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Druga kamera ponovo kasni. ‘The
second camera is late again’
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Predstavljamo prvu violinu orkestra
RTS-a. ‘We present the first violin
of the RTS orchestra’
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Saša Petrović, prvi pištolj Srbije.
‘Saša Petrović, Serbia’s first gun’
Serbian
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The ham sandwich
wants his check.
Come on, EU passports
over here.
English
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Dolari neka pređu na šalter
broj dva. ‘May dollars move
to counter number two.”
Kasa tri da dođe u magacin.
‘Cash register 3 should
come to the storage.’
Serbian
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The ulcer in room 12 is
in good mood.
Are you an L or an XL?
English
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Sve moje petice otišle
su na takmičenje.
‘All my fives(=As) have
gone to the
competition’
Serbian
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Bangladesh votes today.
New York fears new
floods.
The whole city is
dancing.
Her laughing woke up
the whole house.
Our building decided not
to renew the contract
with AMS.
The round is not over
until the last room has
finished.
English
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Poljska žali predsednika. ‘Poland
mourns the president’
Novi Sad strepi od zagađene vode.
‘Novi Sad is anxious about the
polluted water’
Čitavo selo diglo se na noge. ‘The
whole village rose to feet’
Grom je uznemirio celu kuću. ‘The
thunder upset the whole house’
Naš soliter se saglasio da se
renovira fasada. ‘Our skyscraper
has consented that the facade
should be refurbished’
Učionica 230 završava ispit u 13h.
‘Classroom 230 is finishing the
exam at 13h’
Serbian
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China could reach
Moon by 2020.
Germany wins the
world cup.
Britain strips Mugabe
of knighthood.
Washington blames
Tehran for Iraqi
violence.
English
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Japan pomera granice u IT
sektoru ‘Japan is moving the
boundaries in the IT sector’
Portugalija prošla na
kvalifikacijama ‘Portugal has
passed the qualifications’
Češka prodaje praški
aerodrom. ‘Czech Republic is
selling the Prague airport’
Beograd i Priština potpisali
sporazum o normalizaciji
odnosa. ‘Belgrade and
Priština have signed the
agreement on the
normalization of relations’
Serbian
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The University decided to
invest in this project.
The Congress voted
against the measures.
The White House keeps
quiet.
Creating the
correspondent: How the
BBC reached the frontline
in WWII.
The gathering cried out
in a single voice.
English
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Univerzitet se neće složiti. ‘The
University will not agree’
Skupština danas glasa o Zakonu o
informisanju. ‘The Parliament
votes on the Information law
today’
Bela kuća je spremna za
pregovore. ‘The White House is
ready for negotiations’
Politika je bila na licu mesta.
‘Politika was on the spot’
Cela svadba je zapevala.
‘The whole wedding started
singing’.
Serbian
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The devil wears Prada.
Keep calm and drive a
Renault.
kalashnikov, sandwich,
diesel, volt, cardigan,
mackintosh, macadam,
guillotine...
English
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Đavo nosi Pradu. ‘The Devil
wears Prada’
Kad može da bira, pije
Radovanovića. ‘Whenever he
can choose, he drinks
Radovanović’
kalašnjikov, sendvič, dizel,
rendgen, volt, giljotina,
makadam...
Serbian
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Do you like Brahms?
Ishiguro has been
translated into over thirty
languages.
That looks like an
authentic Dali.
He keeps watching
Tarantino.
Banksy is all over the
city.
English
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Volite li Bramsa? ‘Do you like
Brahms?’
Rušdi je već odavno rasprodat.
‘Rushdi has long been sold out’
On ima pravog Klimta u radnoj
sobi. ‘He has a real Klimt in his
study’
I dalje najradije gleda Felinija. ‘He
still watches Fellini rather than
anyone else’
Jesi li video Koraksa juče? ‘Did you
see Corax(=political cartoonist)
yesterday? ‘
Serbian
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Will Obama bomb Iran?
Napoleon defeated
Austria and Russia at
Austerlitz.
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Sheila has five lectures
this week.
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English
Buš je bombardovao Irak.
‘Bush bombed Iraq’
Živojin Mišić je porazio
austrougarsku vojsku u
Kolubarskoj bici. ‘Živojin Mišić
defeated the Austro-Hungarian
army in the Kolubara battle’
Položio sam Katarinu. ‘I’ve
passed Katarina’.
Ja sutra imam ispite u svih pet
učionica. ‘Tomorrow I have
exams in all five classrooms”
Serbian
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The world before and
after Hitler.
Modern medical services
were abolished during
Pol Pot.
Political and cultural
action in France under de
Gaulle.
The company reached its
peak under Robertson.
English
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Tako je bilo i za vreme
Hitlera. ‘It was like that
during Hitler as well’
U kakvom je stanju svet posle
Džordža Buša? ‘What state is
the world in after George
Bush’
Pod Sadamom su se osećali
sigurnije. ‘They felt safer
under Saddam’
Odsek je procvetao za vreme
Kostića. ‘The Department
thrived during Kostić’
Serbian
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Her husband ran out of
petrol on Tower
bridge.
Have you ever been
towed away?
What to do when you
have a flat tyre?
Abramovich docked on
Manhattan’s West Side.
English
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Ivan se parkirao iza pozorišta.
‘Ivan is parked /lit. has parked
himself/ behind the theatre’
Opet me je odneo pauk. ‘I have
been towed away again’
Juče su mi probušili gumu. ‘I
had my tyre flattened
yesterday’
Piter Mank je vezan u Tivtu.
‘Peter Munk is docked in Tivat’
Serbian
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He doesn’t want to
keep to many workers
under him.
A bad boss is one who
is always trying to
please those above
him.
English
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Njen muž ima dvadeset
radnika pod sobom. ‘Her
husband has twenty workers
under him’
Ima previše šefova iznad sebe.
‘He has too many bosses
above him’
Serbian
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Mary is just around the
corner.
The boss is on the top
floor.
The secretary is near
the entrance.
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English
Idemo kod mene, ja sam
odmah tu iza ćoška. ‘Let’s go
to my place /lit. to me/, I am
right around the corner’
Doktor Petrović je na trećem
spratu. ‘Doctor Petrović is on
the third floor’
Direktor je odmah pored lifta
desno. ‘The director is
immediately on the right from
the elevator’
Serbian
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That’s me.
English
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To sam ja. ‘That’s me’
Serbian
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poor soul, fresh legs,
private eye...
deckhand, paleface,
egghead, loudmouth,
redneck, hunchback...
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English
dušo moja ‘my soul’ – my
dear...
Semantic extension of lice
‘face’=person: službeno
lice lit. ‘official face’, vojno
lice lit. ‘military face’,
zaposleno lice lit.
‘employed face’, N.N. lice
lit. ‘NN face’, uhapšeno lice
lit. ‘arrested face’...
Anglicism: faca
On je prava faca.
‘He is a real face(=a cool
person)’
Serbian
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blue collars, white
collars
hard hats
Mingle among the suits
of Wall Street.
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English
Odmah se šajkače i opanci
okupe oko tebe. ‘Šajkače
/traditional Serbian hat for
men, pl./ and opanci
/traditional Serbian shoes,
pl./ gather around you
immediately’
Loan translation:
Plave kragne mogu da
zarade više od belih. ‘Blue
collars can earn more than
the white ones’
Serbian
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Watch the fastest legs
in town! His name is
Michael Seida.
I saw the new
Shakespeare, but I
didn’t like it.
Anaphoric reference –
geared towards the
target concept
English
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Mudre glave-FEM su
zaključile-FEM da se oneFEM time više neće baviti
‘The wise heads-FEM
decided-FEM that they-FEM
will not deal with it any
longer.’
Gledao sam novog Šekspira,
ali mi se nije dopao-MASC.
‘I saw the new Shakespeare,
but I didn’t like him’
Anaphoric reference –
affected by the grammatical
features of the vehicle
concept
Serbian
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BODY PARTS
WHAT WE WEAR (AS
MEMBERS OF
PROFESSIONAL/SOCIAL
GROUPS)
OBJECTS WE USE
OBJECTS/PROPERTIES
ASSOCIATED WITH US IN
A GIVEN SITUATION
WHERE WE LIVE
WHERE WE WORK
Humans –
mentally accessed via:
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WHAT WE CREATE
WHAT WE CONTROL
WHAT WE OWN
THE TIME DURING WHICH
WE ARE IN CONTROL
WHERE WE LIVE/WORK
OUR SOCIAL POSITION
OBJECTS/PROPERTIES
ASSOCIATED WITH US IN
A GIVEN SITUATION
Humans –
providing mental access to:
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Illustrative of “our capacity to invoke the
conception of any one entity as a cognitive
reference point for purposes of establishing mental
contact with another“ (Langacker 1993: 1)
That’s me.
Online resolution of underspecified targets – within
the current discourse space (Langacker 2001) - the
inferential nature of metonymy (Panther and
Thornburg 2003)
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e.g. PERSON FOR HIS/HER CAR
I’ve run out of petrol.
I am parked behind the museum.
I was towed away.
He is much faster than me.
*I was painted yesterday.
*I was repaired by a first-class mechanic.
*I was sold at a good price.
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Human-related metonymies in English and Serbian –
noteworthy range and complexity
Anthropocentricity – one of the prominent features of
metonymic conceptualization
Humans – very good as metonymic vehicles but also as
metonymic targets (dehumanizing metonymies, agency
backgrounding etc.)
Clear preferences towards the recruitment of particular
human-related concepts (individual and collective) as
metonymic vehicles and targets in English and Serbian
tend to outweigh language/culture-specific differences
– however, such differences merit more substantial
attention - a broader cross-linguistic examination
necessary to reveal the conceptual-linguistic interaction
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The open-endedness and inner constraints of humanrelated metonymies – a challenge for defining and
classifying conceptual metonymy
Human-related metonymies – provide a fruitful platform
forcontent-based study of metonymy – a useful insight
into the nature of metonymy (conceptual, linguistic,
discursive, processing aspects) – in particular, a useful
insight into multiple roles of metonymy in meaning
making (meaning extension, dynamic meaning
construction, meaning imposition)
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