From un torrent de larmes to un Himalaya de betise. On Certain Metaphorical Nominal Determiners in French

This study looks into an indefinite determinative structure in French, Det-Nproper-de-Ncommon (e.g. un Everest de malheurs, 'an Everest of hardships'), a quite remarkable metaphorical application of proper names. Using several tests, I show that the Det-Npr-de-Nc sequence is to be classified as a nominal determiner, more specifically a metaphorical one. This finding prompts a reconsideration of the metaphorical dimension of several nominal determiners & a re-examination of the relationships between quantification & partition on the one hand, qualification & metaphor on the other. In particular, I re-evaluate determiners built on nouns for shapes or small quantities. The originality of the initial data suggests a classification for nominal determiners based on common nouns that are not specifically quantifiers & allows me to better locate the genuinely metaphorical & antonomastic determiners within this group. 29 References. Adapted from the source document