Лексикология английского языка

Transference based on contiguity

Another term for this type of transference is linguistic metonymy. The association is based upon subtle psychological links between different objects and phenomena, sometimes traced and identified with much difficulty. The two objects may be associated together because they often appear in common situations, and so the image of one is easily accompanied by the image of the other; or they may be associated on the principle of cause and effect, of common function, of some material and an object which is made of it, etc.

Let us consider some cases of transference based on contiguity. We will notice that they are of different kinds.

The foot of a bed is the place where the feet rest when one lies in the bed, but the foot of a mountain got its name by another association: the foot of a mountain is its lowest part, so that the association here is founded on common position.

The meaning of the noun hand realized in the context hand of a clock (watch) originates from the main meaning of this noun “part of human body”. It is also developed due to the association of the common function: the hand of a clock points to the figures of the face of the clock, and one of the function of human hand is also that of pointing to things.

Meanings produced through transference based on contiguity sometimes originate from geographical or proper names. China in the sense of “dishes made of porcelain” originated from the name of the country which was believed to be the birthplace of porcelain.

The name of a painter is frequently transferred onto one of his pictures: a Matisse = a painting by Matisse.

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