What is it called when a noun belonging to a person is described by a human adjective?
What is it called when a noun, that is part of a person, is described by a human's behavior ?
For example, "rebellious" hair:
Rebelliousness is a adjective for human action but frequently used to describe frizzy hair.
Another example, "stubborn" fat:
Describes difficulty losing weight.
What are these called?
It is called personification
: attribution of personal qualities; especially : representation of a thing or abstraction as a person or by the human form
or anthropomorphism
: an interpretation of what is not human or personal in terms of human or personal characteristics
They are used as literary devices.
I would say anthropomorphism, meaning attributing human traits or motivations to non-human entities such as animals or things.
Since your descriptions of behavior are all closely tied to human emotions, a close word would be anthropopathism. An anthropopathism is described at TFD as:
Attribution of human feelings to things not human, such as inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena.
You would be describing the hair or the fat in an anthropopathic fashion when you ascribe to them the human feelings of being rebellious or stubborn. This word is not limited to human body parts, but could also be used for animals, inanimate objects, a deity, or natural phenomena.
- The stubborn donkey
- Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. (Ex 34:14)
- The raging storm
In these examples, a human emotions are ascribed to non-humans.
The tendency of human psychology for anthropomorphism (attribution of human traits, emotions, and intentions to non-human entities ) is reflected in literature through the use of the 'personification ' device.
But are we really trying to personify fat when it is cited as stubborn by the OP ? or is it the case of only using a human motif. Mere employment of human imagery does not constitute personification.
Is it( ever) 'The rebellious hair refusing to come to order', 'The stubborn fat has apparently decided not to budge' For personification - regardless to the extent or the trait considered - it is essential for the entity concerned - to be invested with a human ego.
*In literature, allusions are used to link concepts that the reader already has knowledge of, with concepts discussed in the story^ (Wikipedia)
My answer is as under
allusion əˈluːʒ(ə)n noun an expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference. "an allusion to Shakespeare"
synonyms: reference to, mention of, comment on, remark about, citation of, quotation of, hint at, intimation of, suggestion of; implication, insinuation "the bird's name is doubtless an allusion to its raucous call"
the practice of making allusions.
These are generally called metaphors.
There are different types of metaphors: personification, anthropomorphism in particular (as mentioned above).
Metaphor:
a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.
If you read something and think "that is not logically / literally possible" then it is a (generally speaking) metaphor.
It is OK to analyse these figures of speech by referring to them as metaphors. However, the academic or enthusiastic student may which to be more specific.
Just a note, it is possible for a single statement to be different types of specific metaphors at once. More often than so there is not always a "right or wrong" answer.