Figure of speech

A figure of speech is a use of a word that diverges from its normal meaning, or a phrase with a specialized meaning not based on the literal meaning of the words. In the UNL approach, figures of speech are to be represented by attributes divided into two main categories:

• Schemes are figures of speech related mainly to syntax, i.e., that change the ordinary or expected pattern of words (such as ellipsis, pleonasm, apposition, etc);
• Tropes are figures of speech related mainly to words, i.e., that change the general meaning of words (such as irony, euphemism, hyperbole, etc