Totum pro parte

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Totum pro parte is Latin for "the whole for a part"; it refers to a kind of metonymy. The plural is tota pro partibus, "wholes for parts". In context of language, it means something is named after something of which it is only a part (or only a limited characteristic, not necessarily representative of the whole). A pars pro toto (in which a part is used to describe the whole) is the opposite of a totum pro parte. [1]

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In geography

Some place names of large areas are commonly used to refer synonymously to a smaller part of the larger area than is strictly deemed correct. Examples of this include:

The capital city of a country is often used to refer to the national government of the country.

International bodies

Similar to capital cities, the name of a city can be used to refer to the headquarters of intergovernmental organizations. Notable examples include:

Other examples

The verb "to drink" is often used in this manner. Depending on context it can stand for the generic, standard definition "to consume a liquid" (e.g. "I'm thirsty, is there anything to drink?") or for the narrow, limited definition "to imbibe alcoholic beverages" (e.g. "He goes out to drink too often"). Also, fluid can be used for liquid, as in brake fluid or bodily fluid . (The presence of air, a fluid, is not wanted when there is low fluid.)

Athletic teams

See also

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References

  1. Online Dictionary of Language Terminology, "totum pro parte".