Emojis: Metonymy in Meaning and Use

Abstract

Emojis are changing the way we communicate in digital text interactions nowadays. They allow us to express kinesthetic cues that are always present in face-to-face communication. Such non-verbal cues may be understood as windows into the emotional/attitudinal states of human beings, and they are conventionalized on the basis of metonymy which, as a mental shortcut, automatically connects facial expressions to the feelings and emotions triggering those expressions. Using a new methodological approach in the form of an entry model for metonymic description, the article intends to provide some insights on how the semantics of emojis is deeply linked to metonymic patterns. The emotions analyzed are hilarity and anger. The paper also briefly addresses the meaning and use of emojis for things and non-affective relations.