Google and Yahoo.com say about antonomasia:
pronounced an-tuh-noh-MAY-zhuh
Dating back to the sixteenth century, comes from the Greek verb “antonomasia” which means “to call by a new name,” which, in turn comes from the Greek verb, “onoma,” meaning “name.”
Of antonomasia, my antiquated dictionary says this:
“call instead; in rhetoric, the use of some epithet or appellative (as his lordship) instead of a person’s name, or the use of a proper name out of its original application (as a Shylock- a relentless and revengeful Jewish money lender in Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice”; hence, an extortionate usurer).” ( “Antonomasia. “ The New Century Dictionary of the English Language. 1952 ed., Vol I, p 57.)
Put simply,
Antonomasia means to call someone or something by a new name. For instance, antonomasia occurs when calling someone who has betrayed you, a Benedict Arnold or when I call my cat, (whose name is Aubrey Rose), Diva Kitty. As I researched this word, I was amazed at how often I use antonomasia in my daily life and that I had never heard this term before. I began to see antonomasia everywhere, TV commercials, magazine ads, bill boards. Thus, I can’t think of better examples, to illustrate the meaning of the word “antonomasia,” than those taken from my daily life.
Fairy Princess
Without the crown
Until one of the other dogs knocks her down.
Demanding insistent little Princess
Nips and licks indiscriminant to taste
Just keep that wet nose off my face.
Sneaky Ninja Diva Kitty
Slithering across the mountain of me
She’s moving, carefully … slow
As if I didn’t know.
There’s no Mary Kay awaiting application.
The make-up is locked up
In a ninja kitty proofed tup.!
A Little History of this Article:
As required of my Advanced Rhetoric, Grammar, and Composition class, I participated in a word lottery, which segued into our assignment-writing a rhetorical essay, including research on our word. Excited about the concept of a sure win (even if the prize was a word), especially after losing the lottery many times.
I “won” the word antonomasia, and not knowing where else to begin researching, I went straight to google.com and yahoo.com. I also consulted my comfort zone- an antiquated two volume set, The New Century Dictionary, that dates 1952. Seeing my word had not changed its meaning since the fifty‘s, I proceeded. The following is the result of my research on antonomasia.