Antonomasia is a rhetoric device: the substitution of any epithet or phrase for a proper name; the opposite substitution of a proper name for some generic term is also sometimes called antonomasia. The word derives from the Greek word antonomazein meaning "to name differently". Rhetoric (from Greek ρητωρ, rhêtôr, orator) is one of the three original liberal arts or trivium (the other members are dialectic and grammar) in Western culture. ...

A frequent instance of antonomasia in the Late Middle Ages and early Renaissance was the use of the term, "the Philosopher", to refer to Aristotle. A more recent example of the other form of antonomasia was the use in 1930s journalism of "Solons" for "the legislators", after the semi-legendary Solon, lawgiver of Athens. Dante by Michelino The Late Middle Ages is a term used by historians to describe European history in the period of the 14th and 15th centuries (1300–1500 CE). ... By Region: Italian Renaissance Northern Renaissance *French Renaissance *German Renaissance *English Renaissance The Renaissance, also known as Rinascimento (in Italian), was an influential cultural movement which brought about a period of scientific revolution and artistic transformation, at the dawn of modern European history. ... Aristotle, marble copy of bronze by Lysippos. ... Solon Solon (Greek: Σόλων, ca. ... The Acropolis in central Athens, one of the most important landmarks in world history. ...

A contemporary example of an antonomastic usage occurs in the phrase "He's such a Nimrod!", substituting the fearless hunter's name—who isn't portrayed as being particularly idiotic—for "idiot" or "jerk", a usage that has been made popular by the 1940s Bugs Bunny cartoons, in which Bugs Bunny frequently refers to Elmer Fudd (who keeps hunting the hare without success) sarcastically as "poor little Nimrod". For other othes, see the disambiguation page Nimrod. ... // Events and trends The 1940s were dominated by World War II, the most destructive armed conflict in history. ... Bugs Bunny is a fictional rabbit appearing in the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, and is one of the most recognizable characters, real or imaginary, in the world. ... A cartoon is any of several forms of art, with varied meanings that evolved from one to another. ... Elmer Fudd The fictional cartoon character Elmer Fudd, now one of the most famous Looney Tunes / Merrie Melodies characters, also has one of the more convoluted and disputed origins in the Warner Brothers cartoon pantheon (second only to Bugs Bunny himself). ...

Another frequently encountered example is the phrase "I'm no Croesus", meaning "I'm not a very rich person". Croesus (the Latin transliteration of the Greek Kροισος, in Persian قارون Qârun), who was legendary for his enormous wealth, was king of Lydia from 560 BC until his defeat by the Persians in about 547 BC. He was the son of Alyattes and continued his fathers policy of conquering...

More examples:

• "Pelides" or "the son of Peleus" for Achilles
• "the Stagirite" for Aristotle;
• "the author of Paradise Lost" for Milton
• "the little corporal" for Napoleon I
• "Macedonia's madman" for Alexander the Great
• "The Iron Duke" for the Duke of Wellington.
• "The Bard" for William Shakespeare.

• "a Daniel" for a wise judge.
• "a Cicero" for an orator.

For other uses, see Achilles (disambiguation). ... Aristotle, marble copy of bronze by Lysippos. ... Milton is the name of a number of places: In the United States of America: Milton, Delaware Milton, Florida Milton, Illinois Milton, Indiana Milton, Iowa Milton, Kentucky Milton, Maine Milton High School in Alpharetta, GA Milton, Massachusetts Milton, New Hampshire Milton (town), New York (in Saratoga County) Milton, Ulster County... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... Alexander the Great fighting the Persian king Darius (Pompeii mosaic, from a 3rd century BC original Greek painting, now lost). ... The Dukedom of Wellington, derived from Wellington in Somerset, is a hereditary title and the senior Dukedom in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Daniel (דָּנִיֵּאל, Standard Hebrew Daniyyel, Tiberian Hebrew Dāniyyêl) is the name of two people from the Bible. ... Marcus Tullius Cicero (January 3, 106 BC – December 7, 43 BC) was an orator and statesman of Ancient Rome, and is generally considered the greatest Latin prose stylist. ...

See also

• Eponym
• Metonymy

An eponym is a person, whether real or fictitious, whose name has (or is thought to have) given rise to the name of a particular place, tribe, discovery, or other item. ... In rhetoric and cognitive linguistics, metonymy (in Greek meta = after/later and onoma = name) is the use of a single characteristic to identify a more complex entity. ...

References

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  This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, which is in the public domain.

Image File history File links 1911_Brittanica_Logo. ... Supporters contend that the Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica (1911) represents the sum of human knowledge at the beginning of the 20th century; indeed, it was advertised as such. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...