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This info doesn't seem to be true. Czechoslovaks were never referred to as Czechs. As a Czechoslovak, I've never heard or seen this to be the case.
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'''''Pars pro toto''''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|p|ɑːr|z|_|p|r|əʊ|_|ˈ|t|əʊ|t|əʊ}},<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/pars_pro_toto|title=pars pro toto {{!}} Definition of pars pro toto in English by Oxford Dictionaries|website=Oxford Dictionaries {{!}} English|access-date=2018-01-19}}</ref> {{IPA-la|ˈpars proː ˈtoːtoː|lang}}), {{langnf||Latin|a part (taken) for the whole}},<ref name="m-w">{{cite web|url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pars%20pro%20toto |title=pars pro toto – Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary |publisher=Merriam-webster.com |date=2012-08-31 |access-date=2014-02-03}}</ref> is a [[figure of speech]] where the name of a ''portion'' of an object, place, or concept is used or taken to represent its ''entirety''. It is distinct from a [[merism]], which is a reference to a whole by an enumeration of parts; [[metonymy]], where an object, place, or concept is called by something or some place associated with it; or [[synecdoche]], which can refer both to ''pars pro toto'' and its inverse: [[Totum pro parte|the whole representing a part]].
{{langnf|la|'''Pars pro toto'''|a part (taken) for the whole|paren=left}}; {{IPAc-en|ˌ|p|ɑːr|z|_|p|r|əʊ|_|ˈ|t|əʊ|t|əʊ}};<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia |entry-url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/pars_pro_toto|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160926043312/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/pars_pro_toto|archive-date=September 26, 2016|entry=pars pro toto |dictionary=Oxford Living Dictionaries: English|access-date=2018-01-19 |title=Pars pro toto - definition of pars pro toto in English &#124; Oxford Dictionaries }}</ref> {{IPA-la|ˈpars proː ˈtoːtoː|lang}}),<ref name="m-w">{{cite encyclopedia |entry-url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pars%20pro%20toto |entry=pars pro toto |dictionary=Merriam-Webster |date=2012-08-31 |access-date=2014-02-03}}</ref> is a [[figure of speech]] where the name of a ''portion'' of an object, place, or concept is used or taken to represent its entirety. It is distinct from a [[merism]], which is a reference to a whole by an enumeration of parts; [[metonymy]], where an object, place, or concept is called by something or some place associated with it; or [[synecdoche]], which can refer both to {{lang|la|pars pro toto}} and its inverse: {{langnf|la|[[Totum pro parte]]|the whole for a part}}.


In the context of language, ''pars pro toto'' means that something is named after a part or subset of it, or after a limited characteristic, which in itself is not necessarily representative of the whole. For example, "[[eyeglasses|glasses]]" is a ''pars pro toto'' name for something that consists of more than literally just two pieces of glass (the frame, nosebridge, temples, etc. as well as the lenses). ''Pars pro toto'' usage is especially common in political geography, with examples including "[[Russia]]" or "[[Russians]]", used to refer to the entire former [[Russian Empire]] or former [[Soviet Union]] or its people; "[[Holland]]" for the [[Netherlands]]; and, particularly in languages other than English, using the translation of "[[England]]" in that language to refer to [[Great Britain]] or the [[United Kingdom]]. Among English-speakers, "Britain" is a common ''pars pro toto'' shorthand for the United Kingdom. "Schweiz", [[Switzerland]]'s name in German, comes from its central [[canton of Schwyz]].
In the context of language, {{lang|la|pars pro toto}} means that something is named after a part or subset of it, or after a limited characteristic, which in itself is not necessarily representative of the whole. For example, "[[eyeglasses|glasses]]" is a {{lang|la|pars pro toto}} name for something that consists of more than literally just two pieces of glass (the frame, nosebridge, temples, etc. as well as the lenses). {{lang|la|Pars pro toto}} usage is especially common in political geography, with examples including "[[Russia]]" or "[[Russians]]", referring to the political institution (both historially and contemporary) or its people; "[[Holland]]" for the [[Netherlands]]; and, particularly in languages other than English, using the translation of "[[England]]" in that language to refer to [[Great Britain]] or the [[United Kingdom]]. Among English-speakers, "Britain" is a common {{lang|la|pars pro toto}} shorthand for the United Kingdom.

The inverse of a ''pars pro toto'' is a ''[[totum pro parte]]'', in which the whole is used to describe a part.<ref>{{cite web|author=Blair Arts Ltd. |url=http://www.odlt.org/ballast/totum_pro_parte.html |title=Online Dictionary of Language Terminology (ODLT) s.v. totum pro parte |publisher=ODLT |access-date=2014-02-03}}</ref> The term ''[[synecdoche]]'' is used for both.


== Geography ==
== Geography ==
{{unreferenced section|date=May 2017}}
{{unreferenced section|date=May 2017}}

⚫
Certain [[place names]] are sometimes used as [[synecdoche]]s to denote an area greater than that warranted by their strict meaning:
An example of a {{lang|la|pars pro toto}} in geography is the use of the capital to refer generally to the country such as [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] for the [[United States]], [[Beijing]] for [[China]], or [[Moscow]] for [[Russia]]. When the capital is used to refer specifically to the country's government, the figure of speech is a metonymy rather than a {{lang|la|pars pro toto}}.

⚫
Certain [[place names]] are sometimes used as synecdoches to denote an area greater than that warranted by their strict meaning:
⚫
*"[[Aotearoa]]" for [[New Zealand]]
* "[[Antigua]]" for [[Antigua and Barbuda]]
* "[[Antigua]]" for [[Antigua and Barbuda]]
* "[[Austria]]" for the [[History of Austria|former]] [[Austria-Hungary|Austro-Hungarian Empire]] or the [[Habsburg]]-ruled lands
* "[[Austria]]" for the [[History of Austria|former]] [[Austria-Hungary|Austro-Hungarian Empire]] or the [[Habsburg Monarchy|Habsburg-ruled lands]]
⚫
* "[[Baghdad]]" for [[Iraq]]
* "The [[Balkans]]" to include historically related parts of southeastern Europe as well as the Balkan Peninsula, or for the countries that made up the former [[Yugoslavia]]
* "The [[Balkans]]" to include historically related parts of southeastern Europe as well as the Balkan Peninsula, or for the countries that made up the former [[Yugoslavia]]
* "[[Bohemia]]" for the [[History of the Czech Republic|former]] [[Czech lands]], now the [[Czech Republic]]
* "[[Bohemia]]" for the [[History of the Czech Republic|former]] [[Czech lands]], now the [[Czech Republic]]
* "[[Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]]" for [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
* "[[Bosnia (region)|Bosnia]]" for [[Bosnia and Herzegovina]]
* "[[Denmark]]" for the [[History of Denmark|erstwhile]] Kingdom of [[Denmark–Norway]]
* "[[Denmark]]" for the [[History of Denmark|erstwhile]] Kingdom of [[Denmark–Norway]]
* "[[Dubai]]" or occasionally "[[Abu Dhabi]]" for the [[United Arab Emirates]]
* "[[Great Britain]]" for the [[United Kingdom]]
* "[[England]]" for [[Great Britain]] or the [[United Kingdom]]
* "[[Great Britain]]" or simply "Britain" for the [[United Kingdom]]
* "[[Holland]]" for the [[Netherlands]] – see [[Netherlands (terminology)]]
* "[[Holland]]" for the [[Netherlands]] – see [[Netherlands (terminology)]]
* [[Yavadvipa|Jawadwipa]] ([[Java]]), [[Suvarnadvipa|Swarnadwipa]] ([[Sumatra]]), and [[Sunda Islands]] (Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Bali, East & West Nusa Tenggara), for [[Indonesia]] (all of those and Papua & Maluku Islands)
* [[Yavadvipa|Jawadwipa]] ([[Java]]), [[Suvarnadvipa|Swarnadwipa]] ([[Sumatra]]), and [[Sunda Islands]] (Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Bali, East & West Nusa Tenggara), for [[Indonesia]] (all of those and Papua & Maluku Islands)
** [[Java]], for the main island and the surrounding islands ([[Madura]], [[Thousand Islands]], and hundred others) under the jurisdiction of the 6 provinces in Indonesia
** [[Java]], for the main island and the surrounding islands ([[Madura]], Thousand Islands, and hundred others) under the jurisdiction of the 6 provinces in Indonesia
** [[Sumatra]], for the main island and the surrounding islands ([[Nias]], [[Bangka Island|Bangka]], [[Belitung]], etc.)
** [[Sumatra]], for the main island and the surrounding islands ([[Nias]], [[Bangka Island|Bangka]], [[Belitung]], etc.)
** [[Kalimantan]], [[Sulawesi]], [[Papua (province)|Papua]], for the main islands and the surrounding islands
** [[Kalimantan]], [[Sulawesi]], [[Papua (province)|Papua]], for the main islands and the surrounding islands
⚫
* "[[Laurentia]]" for [[Canada]]
* "[[Monte Carlo]]" for [[Monaco]]
* "[[Monte Carlo]]" for [[Monaco]]
* "[[Grand Duchy of Moscow|Muscovy]]" for [[Russia]]
* "[[Grand Duchy of Moscow|Muscovy]]" for Russia
* "[[Naples]]" for the [[Italian unification|former]] [[Kingdom of the Two Sicilies]]
* "[[Naples]]" for the [[Italian unification|former]] [[Kingdom of the Two Sicilies]]
* "[[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]]" for what is now called [[Newfoundland and Labrador]]
* "[[Newfoundland (island)|Newfoundland]]" for what is now called [[Newfoundland and Labrador]]
* "[[Patagonia]]" for southern [[Chile]] and [[Argentina]] (sometimes mistaken for both countries)
* "[[Patagonia]]" for the entirety of the [[Southern Cone]]
* "[[Peru]]" for the former [[Inca Empire]] and the [[Viceroyalty of Peru|Viceroyalty or Kingdom of Peru]]
* "[[Peru]]" for the former [[Inca Empire]] and the [[Viceroyalty of Peru|Viceroyalty or Kingdom of Peru]]
* "[[Piedmont]]" or "[[Sardinia]]" for the [[Italian unification|former]] [[Kingdom of Sardinia]]
* "[[Piedmont]]" or "[[Sardinia]]" for the [[Italian unification|former]] [[Kingdom of Sardinia (1720–1861)|Kingdom of Sardinia]]
* "[[Poland]]" for the [[History of Poland|former]] [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]]
* "[[Poland]]" for the [[History of Poland|former]] [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]]
* "[[Prussia]]" for the [[History of Germany|former]] [[German Empire]]
* "[[Prussia]]" for the [[History of Germany|former]] [[German Empire]]
* "[[Russia]]" (or "[[Russian SFSR|Soviet Russia]]") for the [[History of Russia|former]] [[Soviet Union]]
* "Russia" (or "[[Russian SFSR|Soviet Russia]]") for the [[History of Russia|former]] [[Soviet Union]]
* "[[Saint Helena]]" for [[Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha|Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha]]
* "[[Saint Helena]]" for [[Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha|Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha]]
* "[[Saint Vincent (island)|Saint Vincent]]" for [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]]
* "[[Saint Vincent (island)|Saint Vincent]]" for [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]]
* "[[Santo Domingo]]" for the [[Dominican Republic]]
* "[[São Tomé]]" for [[São Tomé and Príncipe]]
* "[[São Tomé]]" for [[São Tomé and Príncipe]]
* "[[Scandinavia]]" for the [[Nordic countries]]
* "[[Scandinavia]]" for the [[Nordic countries]] or [[Fennoscandia]]
* "[[Serbia]]" for [[Serbia and Montenegro]] (made up of today's [[Serbia]], [[Montenegro]], and [[Kosovo]])
* "[[Serbia]]" (or "[[SR Serbia|Yugoslav Serbia]]") for the [[History of Serbia|former]] [[Yugoslavia]] or [[Serbia and Montenegro]]
⚫
* "[[Skopje]]" for [[North Macedonia]]
* "[[South America]]" for the partially overlapping concept of [[Latin America]]
* "[[South America]]" for the partially overlapping concept of [[Latin America]]
* "[[South Pole]]" for [[Antarctica]]
* "[[South Pole]]" for [[Antarctica]]
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* "[[Trinidad]]" for [[Trinidad and Tobago]]
* "[[Trinidad]]" for [[Trinidad and Tobago]]
* "[[Turkey]]" for the [[History of Turkey|former]] [[Ottoman Empire]]
* "[[Turkey]]" for the [[History of Turkey|former]] [[Ottoman Empire]]

* "[[Vietnam]]" for the [[History of Vietnam|former]] [[French Indochina]]
=== Demonyms and ethnic groups ===
* "[[Washington, D.C.|Washington]]" for the District of Columbia during the 19th century

* The use of capitals to denote capital regions or even entire countries, such as "[[Canberra]]" for the [[Australian Capital Territory]], "[[Ancient Rome]]" for the [[Roman Republic]] and [[Roman Empire]], "[[Chinese Taipei]]" for the ([[Free area of the Republic of China|Free area of the]]) [[Republic of China]] or Taiwan, "[[Abu Dhabi]]" for the [[United Arab Emirates]], and "[[Skopje]]" for [[North Macedonia]]
* "[[Yankee]]" for all [[Americans]] (despite the original meaning of the word being of an inhabitant of [[New England]])
** The usage of "Rome" to refer to the [[Roman Catholic Church]] is a different metonym, as the church is not a geographical entity of which Rome is a part
* "[[Franks]]" for all [[Western Europe|Western Europeans]] (used in the [[Muslim world]] throughout the [[medieval]] and [[Early modern period|early modern]] periods)
* "[[Alemanni]]" for all [[Germanic peoples]] (used first by the [[Roman Empire|Romans]] and later by the speakers of [[Romance languages]])


==Other examples==
==Other examples==

⚫
Individual body parts are often colloquially used to refer to an entire body; examples include:
=== Body parts for body ===
* "skin" or "hide" ("save your skin" or "[[skin in the game (phrase)|skin in the game]]" or "the teacher will have my hide")
⚫
Body parts are often colloquially used to refer to the whole body, as in:
* "skin" ("save your skin")
* "hide" ("the teacher will have my hide")
* "mouth" ("mouth to feed")
* "mouth" ("mouth to feed")
* "head" ("head count")
* "head" ("head count")
* "face" ("famous faces")
* "face" ("famous faces")
* "hand" ("all hands on deck")
* "hand" ("all hands on deck")
* "hand" for a person, usually a woman, being considered as a marital partner, as in the phrase "he asked her father for her hand in marriage"{{Citation needed|date=September 2019}}
* "eyeballs" (television audience)
* "eyeballs" (television audience)
* "guts" (to "hate someone's guts")
* "guts" ("hate someone's guts")
* "back", used to mean the entire human body in relation to clothing ("shirt off my back")
* "back" ("get off my back")
* "back" or "neck", used to mean a person's entire self in relation to being bothered ("get off my back" or "we'll have the police on our necks")
* "brain" for intelligence or a smart person, as in "the class brain" or "the brains of the operation" or "where's your brain"
* "neck" ("save one's neck")
* "back" or "neck", used to mean a person's whole self or physical being or physical life, as in the sayings "to have someone's back" or "save one's neck"
* "butt" or "ass", used to indicate a person's entire self or body ("get your butt on a plane" or "the boss fired my ass")
* "butt" or "ass", used to indicate a person's entire self or body ("get your butt on a plane" or "the boss fired my ass")
* "body" for a whole person, as in "can't a body have some peace and quiet?"
* "soul", meaning a whole person, as "don't tell a soul"


=== Subdivisions of companies ===
The names of affiliates or subdivisions of large corporations are sometimes used to refer to the entire corporation:
The names of affiliates or subdivisions of large corporations are sometimes used to refer to the entire corporation:
* [[Chevrolet]], [[Holden]] (in [[Oceania]]), or [[Opel]] (in [[Europe]]) to represent the entirety of [[General Motors]], where using the most common GM brand in each region represents the entirety of General Motors
* [[Chevrolet]], [[Holden]] (in [[Oceania]]), or [[Opel]] (in [[Europe]]) to represent the entirety of [[General Motors]], where using the most common GM brand in each region represents the entirety of General Motors
* [[Activision]] or [[Blizzard Entertainment|Blizzard]] to refer to holding parent company [[Activision Blizzard]]
* [[Activision]] or [[Blizzard Entertainment|Blizzard]] to refer to holding parent company [[Activision Blizzard]]


=== Others ===
Other examples include an individual object being used to refer to a larger object or group of which it is a part:
Other examples include an individual object being used to refer to a larger object or group of which it is a part:
* "bread" for food in general, as in "my job puts bread in my children's mouths"
* "bread" for food in general, as in "my job puts bread in my children's mouths"
* "[[pork belly|pork bellies]]" for [[commodities trading|commodities to be traded]]
* "[[pork belly|pork bellies]]" for [[commodities trading|commodities to be traded]]
* "head" for counting individual farm animals (e.g. "twelve head of cattle" for "twelve cows, bulls, etc.")
* "[[Big Ben]]" for [[Big Ben#Tower|Elizabeth Tower]]
* "[[Big Ben]]" for [[Big Ben#Tower|Elizabeth Tower]]
* "motor" for automobile (as in the corporation [[General Motors]] or the word "Motors" used in the name of a [[car dealership]])
* "motor" for automobile (as in the corporation [[General Motors]] or the word "Motors" used in the name of a [[car dealership]])
** similarly, "wheels" for automobile, "jet" for jet(-propelled) airplane, "sail" for sailing ship
** similarly, "wheels" for automobile, "jet" for jet(-propelled) airplane, "sail" for sailing ship
* "gun", used to refer to the shooter as well as his firearm (e.g., "he was a hired gun")
* "gun" used to refer to the shooter as well as his firearm (e.g., "he was a hired gun")


== See also ==
== See also ==

Revision as of 03:17, 4 March 2024

Pars pro toto (Latin for 'a part (taken) for the whole'; /ˌpɑːrz proʊ ˈtoʊtoʊ/;[1] Latin: [ˈpars proː ˈtoːtoː]),[2] is a figure of speech where the name of a portion of an object, place, or concept is used or taken to represent its entirety. It is distinct from a merism, which is a reference to a whole by an enumeration of parts; metonymy, where an object, place, or concept is called by something or some place associated with it; or synecdoche, which can refer both to pars pro toto and its inverse: Totum pro parte (Latin for 'the whole for a part').

In the context of language, pars pro toto means that something is named after a part or subset of it, or after a limited characteristic, which in itself is not necessarily representative of the whole. For example, "glasses" is a pars pro toto name for something that consists of more than literally just two pieces of glass (the frame, nosebridge, temples, etc. as well as the lenses). Pars pro toto usage is especially common in political geography, with examples including "Russia" or "Russians", referring to the political institution (both historially and contemporary) or its people; "Holland" for the Netherlands; and, particularly in languages other than English, using the translation of "England" in that language to refer to Great Britain or the United Kingdom. Among English-speakers, "Britain" is a common pars pro toto shorthand for the United Kingdom.

Geography

An example of a pars pro toto in geography is the use of the capital to refer generally to the country such as Washington for the United States, Beijing for China, or Moscow for Russia. When the capital is used to refer specifically to the country's government, the figure of speech is a metonymy rather than a pars pro toto.

Certain place names are sometimes used as synecdoches to denote an area greater than that warranted by their strict meaning:

Demonyms and ethnic groups

Other examples

Body parts for body

Body parts are often colloquially used to refer to the whole body, as in:

  • "skin" ("save your skin")
  • "hide" ("the teacher will have my hide")
  • "mouth" ("mouth to feed")
  • "head" ("head count")
  • "face" ("famous faces")
  • "hand" ("all hands on deck")
  • "eyeballs" (television audience)
  • "guts" ("hate someone's guts")
  • "back" ("get off my back")
  • "brain" for intelligence or a smart person, as in "the class brain" or "the brains of the operation" or "where's your brain"
  • "neck" ("save one's neck")
  • "butt" or "ass", used to indicate a person's entire self or body ("get your butt on a plane" or "the boss fired my ass")
  • "body" for a whole person, as in "can't a body have some peace and quiet?"
  • "soul", meaning a whole person, as "don't tell a soul"

Subdivisions of companies

The names of affiliates or subdivisions of large corporations are sometimes used to refer to the entire corporation:

Others

Other examples include an individual object being used to refer to a larger object or group of which it is a part:

  • "bread" for food in general, as in "my job puts bread in my children's mouths"
  • "pork bellies" for commodities to be traded
  • "Big Ben" for Elizabeth Tower
  • "motor" for automobile (as in the corporation General Motors or the word "Motors" used in the name of a car dealership)
    • similarly, "wheels" for automobile, "jet" for jet(-propelled) airplane, "sail" for sailing ship
  • "gun" used to refer to the shooter as well as his firearm (e.g., "he was a hired gun")

See also

References

  1. ^ "pars pro toto". Pars pro toto - definition of pars pro toto in English | Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford Living Dictionaries: English. Archived from the original on September 26, 2016. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
  2. ^ "pars pro toto". Merriam-Webster. 2012-08-31. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
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