Part–whole relations can ground non-similarity transfers. A part may stand for the whole, or a whole for the particular part relevant to an action, provided the usage and context license it.
«يَجْعَلُونَ أَصَابِعَهُمْ فِي آذَانِهِمْ»
They put their fingers into their ears.
The expression mentions whole fingers, although the action concerns their tips. This whole-for-part usage intensifies the scene. The semantic relation is part and whole, not a comparison between similar objects.
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Literal and Figurative Usage: Metonymy and Types of Metaphor
Part–whole relations can ground non-similarity transfers. A part may stand for the whole, or a whole for the particular part relevant to an action, provided the usage and context license it.
«يَجْعَلُونَ أَصَابِعَهُمْ فِي آذَانِهِمْ»
They put their fingers into their ears.
The expression mentions whole fingers, although the action concerns their tips. This whole-for-part usage intensifies the scene. The semantic relation is part and whole, not a comparison between similar objects.