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Leech 1969:48 asserts that there are two types of signals that may help us to know whether a statement is literal or figurative non-literal. The first signal is a textual one,
i.e. the language is identified in some unusual way and does not show literal sense. The second signal is a contextual one; that is the statement has a literal sense but the context
in which it is identified is inappropriate.
A. Semantic Oddity
It refers to semantic bizarreness of expression. Semantic oddity means semantic peculiarity of expression. There are five types of semantic oddity. Pleonasm, periphrasis,
and tautology have semantic redundancy, and oxymoron and paradox have semantic absurdity which contains irreconcilable elements of meaning or reference.
a. Pleonasm
In figurative expression, words are used in such a way that they differ somewhat from ordinary everyday speech and convey meanings in a more vivid and impressive
manner. Pleonasm makes a speech more effective; it beautifies and emphasizes the speech in rhetoric which is the art of speaking and writing effectively.
b. Tautology
Tautology is a way to express something by repeating or saying it in a different way. This can be used for emphasis, to convey something important, or to add literary beauty
to a text. However, many times its use is inadvertent and is just a needless repetition. In logic, it is a statement that consists of two facts, one which will be true in any instance.
Example: The evening sunset was beautiful.
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c. Periphrasis
Periphrasis originates from a Greek word periphrazein which means “talking around”. It is a stylistic device that can be defined as the use of excessive and longer words to convey a meaning
which could have been conveyed with a shorter expression or in a few words. It is an indirect or roundabout way of writing about things.
For example, using “I am going to” instead of “I will” is periphrasis. This is also called circumlocution but there is a slight difference between circumlocution and periphrasis.
d. Oxymoron
Oxymoron
is a figure of speech that juxtaposes elements that appear to be contradictory. Oxymorons appear in a variety of contexts, including inadvertent errors such as ground pilot
and literary oxymorons crafted to reveal a paradox.
Oxymoron is one type of absurdity which entails irreconcilable elements of meaning or reference Leech, 1968: 138.
Example: a.
controlled chaos b.
kill with kindness c.
old news d.
original copy
e. Paradox
The term Paradox is from the Greek word “paradoxon” that means contrary to expectations, existing belief or perceived opinion. It is a statement that appears to be self-contradictory or silly
but may include a latent truth. It is also used to illustrate an opinion or statement contrary to accepted traditional ideas. A paradox is often used to make a reader think over an idea in
innovative way.
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Example: “What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young.” – George Bernard Shaw
B. Transference of Meaning
This section consists of five tropes which will be the main topic that will be discuss below in figurative expressions. They are metaphor, simile, synecdoche and metonymy.
C. Honest deception
This section treats three tropes: Hyperbole Exaggeration, Irony and Sarcasm.
1 Hyperbole
Hyperbole is a figure of exaggeration. It tells more than the truth about the size, number, or degree of something without intending to deceive.
2 Irony
Leech 1968: 171 quotes the definition of irony made by H. W. Fowler in Modern English Usage, that irony is a mode of expression which postulates a double
audience, one of which is ‘in the know’ and aware of the speaker’s attention, while the other is naive enough to take the utterance as its face value.
3 Sarcasm
Many people relate sarcasm to irony, but there is a big difference between the two. A person may use irony unintentionally and unconsciously. However, sarcasm must be
intentional and conscious. Whoever makes a sarcastic comment knows that they are saying something contrary to what they actually believe or how they actually feel.
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2.8 Definition of Figurative Expression
