Talk:koselig
Appropriate Use of “synecdoche”?
The example of using koselig as part of a greeting based on a longer form of greeting that also contains the word koselig is definitely not an example of synecdoche. Like, obviously the fact that both the longer and shorter forms of greeting contain koselig doesn’t make this an example of synecdoche since even the short form is still a phrase containing the word koselig and not simply the word koselig itself. But even if that were the case, that’s not what synecdoche means. I’m not trying to be prescriptivist here, that’s genuinely not how the word is ever used, let alone the strict definition. I’ve never encountered anything described as synecdoche that didn’t take the form of using a (usually significant or representative) part of a larger noun (be it concrete, abstract, conceptual, etc.) to refer to the larger whole. I don’t know that I can say with 100% certainty that this only applies to nouns, but that’s beside the point here. Anyway, I guess it’s a minor quibble but like, isn’t accurately describing what words mean and how they are used the whole point of Wiktionary? In any case, I’m perfectly willing to cede the point if anyone has any counterexamples - I don’t care about dictionary definitions; how language is actually used is what determines what words mean. I always appreciate learning about different or innovative use of language. But if only one person uses a particular word in a particular way, then that can’t really facilitate communication of ideas which is like, language in a nutshell. Sorry for this totally extra and endless paragraph. Blame the OCD (literally - sorry!).
- Right or wrong, it added absolutely nothing to the understanding of the reader, which is what words in definitions are for. Even if this were the entry for synechdoche, it would be useless as an example - it's hard to tell what the word is supposed to mean in this context. Chuck Entz (talk) 08:42, 16 January 2021 (UTC)
So, this is not related to Dutch gezellig? 2001:1C02:1990:A900:868:3C96:9E:3C78 08:03, 23 December 2023 (UTC)