Arabic Metonymy and Its Translation into English

The present paper deals with the Arabic metonymy and the possibility of rendering this trope into English. At the outset of this work, the researcher attempts to present some introductory remarks related to the subject in question such as the approaches which are adopted by Arab and non-Arab linguists and rhetoricians to define the conception of metonymy. It also tackles the rhetorical and non-rhetorical considerations used in the interpretation of Arabic metonymy. An attempt is also made to study and analyze a number of Quranic, Prophetical and poetic metonymical texts where this process has revealed some very subtle rhetorical features which are considered to be stylistically (aesthetically) and semantically powerful. This work touches upon other related issues such as the classification of the metonymical expressions in Arabic rhetoric and their various functions in Arabic texts. Perfectly grasping these issues can very much help in the process of rendering Arabic metonymies into English. Finally, some important conclusions have been arrived at which can provide the interested reader with further insights into the subject of metonymy.