Pars pro toto

Pars pro toto is Latin for "(taking) a part for the whole"; it is a kind of synecdoche. When used in a context of language it means that something is named after a part of it (or after a limited characteristic, in itself not necessarily representative for the whole). E.g. "glasses" is a "pars pro toto" name for something that consists of more than just two pieces of glass. The opposite of a pars pro toto is a totum pro parte, in which the whole is used to describe a part.

In geography

Certain place names are sometimes used to denote an area greater than that warranted by their strict meaning. Examples of this include:

• England for Great Britain, the British Isles and/or the United Kingdom – see British Isles (terminology)
• Holland for the Netherlands – see Netherlands (terminology)
• Persia for Iran – see Iran naming dispute
• Russia for the former Soviet Union
• Australia for Oceania
• Canberra for the Australian Capital Territory

Such usage can cause offence. The people of Scotland and Wales, for example, do not take kindly to the use of "England" to refer to Great Britain as a whole. Inhabitants of the Netherlands who live in provinces other than North or South Holland may feel excluded when "Holland" is used to describe their country.

See also

• Metonymy

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