Totum pro parte
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Totum pro parte is Latin for "(taking) the whole for a part"; it refers to a kind of synecdoche. When used in a context of language it means that something is named after something of which it is only a part (or only a limited characteristic, in itself not necessarily representative for the whole). A pars pro toto is the opposite of a totum pro parte in which a part is used to describe the whole.
[edit] In geography
Some placenames are commonly used to refer synonymously to a larger area than is strictly deemed correct. Examples of this are America (for the United States), Britain (for the United Kingdom) and Micronesia (for the Federated States of Micronesia). Use of common placenames to replace official titles can cause offence. For example, Ireland is the legal name of the country known as the Republic of Ireland. Also, many residents of the Latin American countries feel excluded when the title America is used to describe only the U.S. <ref>Mencken, H. L. (December 1947). "Names for Americans". American Speech 22: 241–256.</ref> See also Use of the word American.
