Metonymical transfers: the complex relation of metonymy and grammar

It has been known for a long time that metonymy is not just a figure of speech, but rather a cognitive process which affects linguistic expressions and their interpretations. Because meaning and form are two sides of the same coin, metonymical effects are also visible within grammar. Linguists have therefore started to make use of the notion ‘grammatical metonymy’. It is not always clear, however, what exactly is intended by this notion.

In this paper I will clarify the relation between metonymy and grammar. I will show that grammar can be used to provide insights into the exact nature of metonymy. Based on several grammatical observations and linguistic tests, I will analyse metonymies as causing linguistic transfers and I will provide a classification of different types of such metonymical transfers.