The role of metonymy and polysemy in academic and popular science literature

Metonymy and polysemy in academic and popular science texts are useful linguistic phenomena that aid in interpreting complex specialised terms by capturing various meanings in scientific terminology. The relevance of the study is determined by the necessity to clarify the functions and contextual motivation behind the use of metonymy and polysemy in conveying scientific information. The research aims to analyse theories related to metonymy and polysemy, different types of these stylistic figures, and determine which ones are most productive for scientific style. The results of the study revealed that metonymic expressions can be used to condense narratives and convey precise terms and definitions. On the other hand, polysemy assists in selecting the most appropriate among multiple meanings of the same term. The findings of this paper can be beneficial to linguists, teachers, and researchers from various scientific fields who seek to enhance the accuracy and comprehensibility of their scientific work.