Pars pro toto

Pars pro toto is Latin for "(taking) a part for the whole"^[1] where a portion of an object or concept represents the entire object or context.

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. For example, "glasses" is a pars pro toto name for something that consists of more than just two pieces of glass.

Pars pro toto is a common device in iconography, where a particular icon can stand for a complete set of characteristics.

The opposite of a pars pro toto is a totum pro parte, in which the whole is used to describe a part, such as Germany for West Germany during the cold war.

A similar term, synecdoche, comes from Greek, meaning 'simultaneous understanding'.

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
• “Serbia” for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1992-2003) or Serbia and Montenegro (2003-2006)
• “Poland” for the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
• "Austria" for the former Austro-Hungarian Empire or the Habsburg-ruled lands

• The use of capitals to denote capital regions or even entire countries, e.g. “Canberra” for the Australian Capital Territory

See also

• Metonymy
• Synecdoche
• Totum pro parte

Notes