A Look at the Metonymy of "Having a cat in a bag" and other Rhetorical Uses of "Cat in a bag"

Document Type : Rhetoric

Author

Associate Professor of Persian Language and Literature, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran

10.22091/jls.2024.10399.1583

Abstract

Metonymies are formed based on the normal events of people's lives in every era; Therefore, a metonymy that was used at a certain time can become ambiguous later. Many of the metonymies that are used in classical texts of Persian literature and are not possible to understand easily were definitely familiar to the audience in their time. The metonymy of "cat in the bag" is also of the same kind, and it seems that its meaning is not accurately understood due to the less visible behavior related to it. The metonymy of "cat in the bag" is also of the same kind. The meanings presented for this metonymy in Persian culture mostly revolve around the axis of "wile and cunning". Seyyed Jafar Shahidi also mentioned the same meaning for it in the description of the words and problems of Divan Anvari; While a close examination of the bits in which this phrase is used, shows that the meaning presented for the phrase is not correct; In addition, its use is not only ironic; Rather, similes and metaphors are used as rhetorical elements in the works of Persian poets. In the present article, while explaining the mentioned metonymy and its possible origin, using in-text clues as well as evidence from Persian poetry, we try to present its correct meaning and show other rhetorical uses of the phrase "cat in a bag ". Based on this, the meaning of this phrase in all three of its rhetorical forms revolves around "having or not having power and ability".

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References

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Rhetoric and Grammar Studies
Volume 13, Issue 23
December 2023
Pages 224-237

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