antonomasia

See also: antonomásia

English

Examples (use of an epithet or title for a proper noun)
Come quickly, your lordship!

Examples (use of a proper name for its attribute)
Can we depend on the Solons in Washington to save us?

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin antonomasia, Ancient Greek ἀντονομασία (antonomasía, “antonomasia”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌæntənəʊˈmeɪzɪə/, /ænˌtɒnəʊˈmeɪzɪə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌæntənəˈmeɪʒə/

Noun

antonomasia (countable and uncountable, plural antonomasias)

1. (rhetoric) The substitution of an epithet or title in place of a proper noun.

   The use of terms of address when speaking to royalty, nobility, clerics, and the like is an example of antonomasia.

2. (rhetoric) Use of a proper name to suggest its most obvious quality or aspect.

   In the sentence to the right, using the ancient Athenian statesman Solon as an example of a leader with wise judgment is an instance of antonomasia. Its use in reference to modern American politicians is, however, likely ironic.

   • [1835, L[arret] Langley, A Manual of the Figures of Rhetoric, […], Doncaster: Printed by C. White, Baxter-Gate, →OCLC, page 70:

     Antonomasia proper names imparts
     From kindred, country, epithets, and arts.]

Synonyms

• autonomasia, autonomasy

Coordinate terms

• See eponym

Translations

substitution of an epithet or title in place of a proper noun

• Catalan: antonomàsia (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 代稱 / 代称 (zh) (dàichēng)

• Finnish: antonomasia
• French: antonomase (fr) f
• Polish: antonomazja (pl) f
• Portuguese: antonomásia (pt) f
• Serbo-Croatian: antonomazija (sh) f
• Spanish: antonomasia (es) f
• Swedish: antonomasi c

Finnish

Etymology

From Latin antonomasia.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑntonoˌmɑsiɑ/, [ˈɑ̝n̪t̪o̞no̞ˌmɑ̝s̠iɑ̝]
• Rhymes: -ɑsiɑ
• Hyphenation^(key): an‧tono‧masia

Noun

antonomasia

1. antonomasia

Declension

Inflection of antonomasia (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation)
nominative		antonomasia	antonomasiat
genitive		antonomasian	antonomasioiden antonomasioitten
partitive		antonomasiaa	antonomasioita
illative		antonomasiaan	antonomasioihin
		singular	plural
nominative		antonomasia	antonomasiat
accusative	nom.	antonomasia	antonomasiat
	gen.	antonomasian
genitive		antonomasian	antonomasioiden antonomasioitten antonomasiain rare
partitive		antonomasiaa	antonomasioita
inessive		antonomasiassa	antonomasioissa
elative		antonomasiasta	antonomasioista
illative		antonomasiaan	antonomasioihin
adessive		antonomasialla	antonomasioilla
ablative		antonomasialta	antonomasioilta
allative		antonomasialle	antonomasioille
essive		antonomasiana	antonomasioina
translative		antonomasiaksi	antonomasioiksi
abessive		antonomasiatta	antonomasioitta
instructive		—	antonomasioin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of antonomasia (Kotus type 12/kulkija, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative antonomasiani antonomasiani accusative nom. antonomasiani antonomasiani gen. antonomasiani genitive antonomasiani antonomasioideni antonomasioitteni antonomasiaini rare partitive antonomasiaani antonomasioitani inessive antonomasiassani antonomasioissani elative antonomasiastani antonomasioistani illative antonomasiaani antonomasioihini adessive antonomasiallani antonomasioillani ablative antonomasialtani antonomasioiltani allative antonomasialleni antonomasioilleni essive antonomasianani antonomasioinani translative antonomasiakseni antonomasioikseni abessive antonomasiattani antonomasioittani instructive — — comitative — antonomasioineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative antonomasiasi antonomasiasi accusative nom. antonomasiasi antonomasiasi gen. antonomasiasi genitive antonomasiasi antonomasioidesi antonomasioittesi antonomasiaisi rare partitive antonomasiaasi antonomasioitasi inessive antonomasiassasi antonomasioissasi elative antonomasiastasi antonomasioistasi illative antonomasiaasi antonomasioihisi adessive antonomasiallasi antonomasioillasi ablative antonomasialtasi antonomasioiltasi allative antonomasiallesi antonomasioillesi essive antonomasianasi antonomasioinasi translative antonomasiaksesi antonomasioiksesi abessive antonomasiattasi antonomasioittasi instructive — — comitative — antonomasioinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative antonomasiamme antonomasiamme accusative nom. antonomasiamme antonomasiamme gen. antonomasiamme genitive antonomasiamme antonomasioidemme antonomasioittemme antonomasiaimme rare partitive antonomasiaamme antonomasioitamme inessive antonomasiassamme antonomasioissamme elative antonomasiastamme antonomasioistamme illative antonomasiaamme antonomasioihimme adessive antonomasiallamme antonomasioillamme ablative antonomasialtamme antonomasioiltamme allative antonomasiallemme antonomasioillemme essive antonomasianamme antonomasioinamme translative antonomasiaksemme antonomasioiksemme abessive antonomasiattamme antonomasioittamme instructive — — comitative — antonomasioinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative antonomasianne antonomasianne accusative nom. antonomasianne antonomasianne gen. antonomasianne genitive antonomasianne antonomasioidenne antonomasioittenne antonomasiainne rare partitive antonomasiaanne antonomasioitanne inessive antonomasiassanne antonomasioissanne elative antonomasiastanne antonomasioistanne illative antonomasiaanne antonomasioihinne adessive antonomasiallanne antonomasioillanne ablative antonomasialtanne antonomasioiltanne allative antonomasiallenne antonomasioillenne essive antonomasiananne antonomasioinanne translative antonomasiaksenne antonomasioiksenne abessive antonomasiattanne antonomasioittanne instructive — — comitative — antonomasioinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative antonomasiansa antonomasiansa accusative nom. antonomasiansa antonomasiansa gen. antonomasiansa genitive antonomasiansa antonomasioidensa antonomasioittensa antonomasiainsa rare partitive antonomasiaansa antonomasioitaan antonomasioitansa inessive antonomasiassaan antonomasiassansa antonomasioissaan antonomasioissansa elative antonomasiastaan antonomasiastansa antonomasioistaan antonomasioistansa illative antonomasiaansa antonomasioihinsa adessive antonomasiallaan antonomasiallansa antonomasioillaan antonomasioillansa ablative antonomasialtaan antonomasialtansa antonomasioiltaan antonomasioiltansa allative antonomasialleen antonomasiallensa antonomasioilleen antonomasioillensa essive antonomasianaan antonomasianansa antonomasioinaan antonomasioinansa translative antonomasiakseen antonomasiaksensa antonomasioikseen antonomasioiksensa abessive antonomasiattaan antonomasiattansa antonomasioittaan antonomasioittansa instructive — — comitative — antonomasioineen antonomasioinensa

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin antonomasia, from Ancient Greek ἀντονομασία (antonomasía, “antonomasia”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /an.to.noˈma.zja/
• Rhymes: -azja
• Hyphenation: an‧to‧no‧mà‧sia

Noun

antonomasia f (plural antonomasie)

1. (rhetoric) antonomasia

Latin

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀντονομασία (antonomasía, “antonomasia”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /an.to.noˈma.si.a/, [än̪t̪ɔnɔˈmäs̠iä]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /an.to.noˈma.si.a/, [än̪t̪onoˈmäːs̬iä]

Noun

antonomasia f (genitive antonomasiae); first declension

1. (rhetoric) antonomasia

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	antonomasia	antonomasiae
genitive	antonomasiae	antonomasiārum
dative	antonomasiae	antonomasiīs
accusative	antonomasiam	antonomasiās
ablative	antonomasiā	antonomasiīs
vocative	antonomasia	antonomasiae

Descendants

• English: antonomasia
• French: antonomase
• Italian: antonomasia
• Spanish: antonomasia

References

• “antonomasia”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• antonomasia in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin antonomasia, Ancient Greek ἀντονομασία (antonomasía, “antonomasia”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /antonoˈmasja/ [ãn̪.t̪o.noˈma.sja]
• Rhymes: -asja
• Syllabification: an‧to‧no‧ma‧sia

Noun

antonomasia f (plural antonomasias)

1. (rhetoric) antonomasia

Derived terms

• por antonomasia

 

Further reading

• “antonomasia”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10