Antonomasia (антономазия, переименование)

Litotes (литота, преуменьшение)
Litotes is a lexico-syntactical stylistic device based on a peculiar use of negative constructions in the positive meaning, so that, on the face of it, the quality seems to be underestimated (diminished), but in fact it is shown as something positive or intensified: Not bad (= very good); He is no coward (= very brave); It was no easy task (= very difficult); There are not a few people who think so (= very many); I was not a little surprised (= very much surprised); It was done not without taste (= in very good taste).
It is a two-component structure in which two negations are joined to give a positive evaluation. Thus "not unkindly" actually means "kindly", though the positive effect is weakened and some lack of the speaker's confidence in his statement is implied. The first com­ponent of a litotes is always the negative particle "not", while the sec­ond, always negative in semantics, varies in form from a negatively affixed word (as above) to a negative phrase.
Litotes is especially expressive when the semantic centre of the whole structure is stylistically or/and emotionally coloured, as in the case of the following occasional creations: "Her face was not unhandsome" (A.H.) or "Her face was not unpretty". (K.K.)
The function of litotes has much in common with that of understatement —both weaken the effect of the utterance. The uniqueness of litotes lies in its specific "double negative" structure and in its weakening only the positive evaluation. The Russian terms "литота, преуменьшение" correspond only to the English "understatement" as it has no structural or semantic limitations.


Exercise IV. Analyse the structure, the semantics and the functions of litotes:
1. "To be a good actress, she must always work for the truth in what she's playing," the man said in a voice not empty of self-love.
(N.M.) "
2. "Yeah, what the hell," Anne said and looking at me, gave that not unsour smile. (R.W.)
3. It was not unnatural if Gilbert felt a certain embarrassment. (E.W.)
4. The idea was not totally erroneous. The thought did not dis­please me. (I.M.)
5. I was quiet, but not uncommunicative; reserved, but not reclu­sive; energetic at times, but seldom enthusiastic. (Jn.B.)
6. He had all the confidence in the world, and not without reason. (J.O'H.)
7. Kirsten said not without dignity: "Too much talking is unwise." (Ch.)
8. "No, I've had a profession and then a firm to cherish," said Ravenstreet, not without bitterness. (P.)
9.I felt I wouldn't say "no" to a cup of tea. (K.M.)
10.I wouldn't say "no" to going to the movies. (E.W.)
11. "I don't think you've been too miserable, my dear." (P.)
12. Still two weeks of success is definitely not nothing and phone calls were coming in from agents for a week. (Ph.R.)

ASSIGNMENTS FOR SELF-CONTROL

• 
  What is a litotes?
  
• 
  What is there in common between litotes and understatement?
  
• 
  Describe most frequently used structures of litotes.