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what is a portmanteau word

by Emily Skiles Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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What does the word 'portmanteau' mean?

In literature, portmanteau refers to the technique of combining two or more words to create a new word. The new word has characteristics of both original words.

What are your favorite portmanteau words?

18 Portmanteau Words You Never Thought Of

  • Portmanteau. Wouldn't you know it, portmanteau is an autological word—a word that describes itself. ...
  • Biopic. Movies about the life of a specific notable person are being released pretty regularly these days. ...
  • Botox. ...
  • Brainiac. ...
  • Brunch. ...
  • Cosplay. ...
  • Electrocute. ...
  • Gerrymander. ...
  • Listicle. ...
  • Motel. ...

More items...

What is an example of a portmanteau?

  • Beefalo - offspring of a buffalo and a cow, also known as Cattalo
  • Cama - offspring of a camel and a llama
  • Coywolf - offspring of a coyote and a wolf
  • Geep - offspring of a goat and a sheep
  • Grolar Bear - offspring of a grizzly bear and a polar bear
  • Liger - offspring of a lion and a tiger, also known as a Tigion

More items...

How to pronounce portmanteau in English?

Here are 4 tips that should help you perfect your pronunciation of 'portmanteau':

  • Break 'portmanteau' down into sounds : [PAWT] + [MAN] + [TOH] - say it out loud and exaggerate the sounds until you can consistently produce them.
  • Record yourself saying 'portmanteau' in full sentences, then watch yourself and listen. ...
  • Look up tutorials on Youtube on how to pronounce 'portmanteau'.

More items...

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What is an example of a portmanteau word?

Examples in English include chortle (from chuckle and snort), smog (from smoke and fog), brunch (from breakfast and lunch), mockumentary (from mock and documentary), and spork (from spoon and fork). A portmanteau is a suitcase that opens into halves.

What does the word portmanteau mean?

Definition of portmanteau (Entry 1 of 2) 1 : a large suitcase. 2 : a word or morpheme whose form and meaning are derived from a blending of two or more distinct forms (such as smog from smoke and fog)

What is the best portmanteau?

Outside of tech terms, you find these gems:smog = smoke and fog.breathalyzer = breath + analyzer.frankenfood = frankenstein + food.bromance = brother + romance.shopaholic = shop + alcoholic.romcom = romance + comedy.brunch = breakfast + lunch.frenemy = friend + enemy.More items...•

Is Pokemon a portmanteau word?

Pokémon is a portmanteau of "pocket" and "monster". A large case usually made of leather made of two parts.

Is television a portmanteau?

The crossword clue Television portmanteau word with 6 letters was last seen on the January 01, 2004. We think the likely answer to this clue is SITCOM. Below are all possible answers to this clue ordered by its rank....Television Portmanteau Word Crossword Clue.RankWordClue2%VIDEOOf television2%BLENDPortmanteau word18 more rows

What is the portmanteau of Hangry?

Hangry is a portmanteau of "hungry" and "angry".

Is brunch a portmanteau?

A very common example of a portmanteau word is the word 'brunch', which is formed by linking 'breakfast' and 'lunch'. Brunch is the meal taken between breakfast and lunch.

Is motel a portmanteau word?

Practice making portmanteau words and finding their definitions.

Is fortnite a portmanteau?

Fourteen + Nights = Fortnight (Portmanteau Words)

Is webinar a portmanteau?

The term webinar is a portmanteau -- a word made from two other words or parts of words -- of "web" and "seminar."

How do you write a portmanteau word?

A portmanteau word is a contraction of two words or a group of words. To create a portmanteau word, remove the end (the last syllables) of the first word and the beginning (the first syllable) of the second word before concatenating the two parts to form a new invented word.

Can a term be two words?

A term can be more than one word. A phrase is a group of words that commonly used together to convey meaning.

Is brunch a portmanteau?

A very common example of a portmanteau word is the word 'brunch', which is formed by linking 'breakfast' and 'lunch'. Brunch is the meal taken between breakfast and lunch.

What language does portmanteau come from?

Portmanteau is an archaic word for suitcase, made from the French words for carry (porter) and cloak (manteau). As such, the word portmanteau is a portmanteau itself.

How do you say portmanteau in French?

0:001:15How to Pronounce Portmanteau? (CORRECTLY) Meaning ... - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipBonjour banking prenant cet épais que le french prononciation à zoua. Porte manteau which élimineMoreBonjour banking prenant cet épais que le french prononciation à zoua. Porte manteau which élimine scott. Au meeting in english in english julie sedel simply to french.

What's the correct pronunciation of portmanteau?

port-MAN-toeThe word is pronounced 'port-MAN-toe' with the stress on the second syllable. The word comes from the French 'porter' meaning 'to carry' and 'manteau' meaning 'mantle' or 'cloak'.

What is a portmanteau word?

Portmanteau word, also called blend, a word that results from blending two or more words, or parts of words, such that the portmant eau word expresses some combination of the meaning of its parts. Examples in English include chortle (from chuckle and snort ), smog (from smoke and fog ), brunch (from breakfast and lunch ), ...

Who was the first to use the portmanteau word?

Among writers of literature in English, James Joyce pushed the idea of the portmanteau word to a literary extreme in Finnegans Wake (1939), in which he wove together words from numerous languages and invested them with multiple meanings.

Who was the first person to use portmanteau?

Lewis Carroll was the first to use portmanteau to describe a specific type of word, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. He did so in his Through the Looking-Glass (1871), in reference to the nonsense poem “ Jabberwocky,” which begins. ’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves. Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

When was the term "pall" first used?

The term was probably first used in 1905 by H.A. Des Voeux to…. History at your fingertips.

What is a portmanteau?from en.wikipedia.org

Chiefly British. a case or bag to carry clothing in while traveling, especially a leather trunk or suitcase that opens into two halves. Linguistics. Also called port·man·teau word . a word that combines the form and meaning of two or more other words; a blend. Also called port·man·teau morph .

What is the Jeoportmanteau quiz?from en.wikipedia.org

Jeoportmanteau! is a recurring category on the American television quiz show Jeopardy! The category's name is itself a portmanteau of the words Jeopardy and portmanteau. Responses in the category are portmanteaus constructed by fitting two words together.

What are some examples of portmanteau words?from en.wikipedia.org

Company and product names may also use portmanteau words: examples include Timex (a portmanteau of Time [referring to Time magazine] and Kleenex ), Renault 's Twingo (a combination of twist, swing and tango ), and Garmin (portmanteau of company founders' first names Gary Burrell and Min Kao ).

How many morae are there in a portmanteau?from en.wikipedia.org

A very common type of portmanteau in Japanese forms one word from the beginnings of two others (that is, from two back-clippings ). The portion of each input word retained is usually two morae, which is tantamount to one kanji in most words written in kanji.

How are portmanteau words produced?from en.wikipedia.org

Portmanteau words may be produced by joining together proper nouns with common nouns, such as " gerrymandering ", which refers to the scheme of Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry for politically contrived redistricting; the perimeter of one of the districts thereby created resembled a very curvy salamander in outline. The term gerrymander has itself contributed to portmanteau terms bjelkemander and playmander .

What is the portmanteau word for grimness?from dictionary.com

This longing for grimness actually has its own portmanteau word, ostalgie.

What are the two neologisms that are blends of mecánica and oficina?from en.wikipedia.org

Mecatrónica and Ofimática two Neologisms that are blends of mecánica (mechanical) with electrónica (electronics), and oficina (office) with informática ( informatics) respectively.

What is a portmanteau word?

A one-sentence definition is easy enough: a portmanteau word is, in summary, a word that has been formed by blending two existing words together. So, for instance, a motel is from motor + hotel, brunch is from ­ breakfast + lunch, and smog is from smoke + fog.

What are some examples of portmanteau words?

Some words are portmanteaus but their origins as portmanteaus aren’t as obvious. For example, the word meld, meaning to merge two things together, is an example of a portmanteau word: it’s from the words melt + weld. (There is a separate and rarer word, ‘meld’, which is used in card games and means to announce one’s hand or one’s bet;

What is a compound word?

A compound is where two words are placed together, e.g. house + boat = houseboat, or dog + food = dogfood.

Is "cocker spaniel" a portmanteau word?

Even in cockerpoo, the term spaniel is lost from the first term, cocker spaniel. A portmanteau word packed two meanings up into its carry-case , but some letters are always jettisoned.

What is a portmanteau?

A portmanteau ( / pɔːrtˈmæntoʊ / ( listen), / ˌpɔːrtmænˈtoʊ /) or portmanteau word (from " portmanteau (luggage) ") is a blend of words in which parts of multiple words are combined into a new word, as in smog, coined by blending smoke and fog, or motel, from motor and hotel. In linguistics, a portmanteau is a single morph ...

What is another word for Portmanteau?

An occasional synonym for "portmanteau word" is frankenword, an autological word exemplifying the phenomenon it describes, blending " Frankenstein " and "word".

What is the Jeoportmanteau quiz?

Jeoportmanteau! is a recurring category on the American television quiz show Jeopardy! The category's name is itself a portmanteau of the words Jeopardy and portmanteau. Responses in the category are portmanteaus constructed by fitting two words together.

How many morae are there in a portmanteau?

A very common type of portmanteau in Japanese forms one word from the beginnings of two others (that is, from two back-clippings ). The portion of each input word retained is usually two morae, which is tantamount to one kanji in most words written in kanji.

How are portmanteau words produced?

Portmanteau words may be produced by joining together proper nouns with common nouns, such as " gerrymandering ", which refers to the scheme of Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry for politically contrived redistricting; the perimeter of one of the districts thereby created resembled a very curvy salamander in outline. The term gerrymander has itself contributed to portmanteau terms bjelkemander and playmander .

How is a portmanteau formed?

A portmanteau word is similar to a contraction, but contractions are formed from words that would otherwise appear together in sequence, such as do and not to make don't, whereas a portmanteau is formed by combining two or more existing words that all relate to a single concept. A portmanteau also differs from a compound, which does not involve the truncation of parts of the stems of the blended words. For instance, starfish is a compound, not a portmanteau, of star and fish, as it includes both words in full.

When did Carroll use portmanteau?

In his introduction to his 1876 poem The Hunting of the Snark, Carroll again uses portmanteau when discussing lexical selection: Humpty Dumpty's theory, of two meanings packed into one word like a portmanteau, seems to me the right explanation for all. For instance, take the two words "fuming" and "furious".

What is a portmanteau?

Chiefly British. a case or bag to carry clothing in while traveling, especially a leather trunk or suitcase that opens into two halves. Linguistics. Also called port·man·teau word . a word that combines the form and meaning of two or more other words; a blend. Also called port·man·teau morph .

Where did the word "portmanteau" come from?

Origin of portmanteau. From French portemanteau literally, “ (it) carries (the) cloak”; see port 5, mantle; def. 1 was first recorded in 1575–85, and def. 2a in 1871 in Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll.

What is the portmanteau word for grimness?

This longing for grimness actually has its own portmanteau word, ostalgie.

What is a portmanteau?

Whether or not you knew that this is what they’re called, a portmanteau is a word formed by the combination of other words. The new word draws meaning from the words it comes from, creating a word that’s clever and often slang-y—but not always! In fact, plenty of sneaky portmanteaus float around in our daily vocabulary, ...

Where does the word "portmanteau" come from?

It comes from the French words porter and manteau, meaning “to carry” and “cloak”/”coat,” respectively. Yes, neither of those have anything to do with words, but the primary, more literal definition of portmanteau is “a large trunk or suitcase.”. The first person to use the word to describe a word was one Lewis Carroll, ...

What is a portmanteau?

A portmanteau (pronounced: port-mahn-tow) is the combination of multiple words to create a new word.

Where does the word "portmanteau" come from?

Interestingly, “portmanteau” is itself a portmanteau! It comes from the French words porter, meaning “to carry” and manteau, meaning “mantle.” The word originally referred to a travel suitcase that had two equal parts.

How Are Portmanteaus Made?

Most portmanteaus follow a pattern: combine the first half of one word with the second half of another word.

What is the pattern of portmanteaus?

Most portmanteaus follow a pattern: combine the first half of one word with the second half of another word.

What are some examples of portmanteau?

See, for example, William Gibson's Neuromancer (itself a portmanteau) or Anthony Burgess 's A Clockwork Orange, which creates strange portmanteaus and other word mashups using preexistent Russian and English words (for example, "horrorshow," which combines the Russian word for "good" or "beautiful" and the English words horror and show).

What is a portmanteau suitcase?

A portmanteau is an old-fashioned suitcase with a hinge in the middle that can hold equal amounts of luggage in its two storage compartments. HG Wells had this sense of the word in mind when he wrote the opening sentence to his famous novel Invisible Man:

Why does Alice ask Humpty Dumpty to help her understand the poem?

Later in the story, Alice meets Humpty Dumpty, and because he’s so good with words, she asks him to help her to understand the poem. In the following passage, a new meaning of the term portmanteau enters the English language:

Why did Carroll use the portmanteau?

Readers of Carroll’s work were as delighted by this simile as they were with Jabberwocky’s wordplay, and they began to use the term “portmanteau” to describe situations in which two words were packed together to create a new word.

Does Portmanteaus live on?

Thanks to the author Lewis Carroll, however, portmanteaus live on in the English language , though they now mean something quite different.

What is a portmanteau?

Portmanteau, pronounced “port-man-tow,” refers to a new word made from two words and their meanings. For example, the portmanteau brunch refers to a combined meal of breakfast and lunch, and spork is a mix between a spoon and a fork. Keep reading for 100 more examples of creative combined words, perfect for the 21st century.

What does portmanteau mean in French?

The original meaning of portmanteau means “suitcase” in French, implying that two words are packed inside. Writers use portmanteaus (or portmanteaux) to make their word choice more interesting. Portmanteaus show that a writer’s creativity infuses the very words they use.

What is Reaganomics?

Reaganomics (Ronald Reagan + economics) - “trickle-down” economic policy in the Reagan presidency) stagflation (stagnation + inflation) - a continuous period of high inflation and unemployment. Another popular portmanteau in the news comes from the Nixon administration.

Where did the portmanteau come from?

Like many helpful and delightful words, portmanteau comes from literature. It first appeared in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass in a quote from Humpty Dumpty:

Is portmanteau a compound word?

It’s tempting to say that portmanteaus are just like compound words, but they’re not. Compound words like firefighter and ladybug also use two words to make a new word. However, in a portmanteau, one or both of the words is shortened in a clever way.

Who created the nonsense portmanteaus?

Many nonsense portmanteaus were created by authors such as James Joyce, Charles Dickens, and Lewis Carroll. However, other portmanteaus have made their way into our everyday speech and reading, like popular Spanglish words. Check out these examples of portmanteaus from entertainment, news, technology, and more.

Is Portmanteaus a regular word?

Many portmanteaus are hiding in the dictionary as regular words! Take a look at the list below to learn which words you may not have known are actually portmanteaus.

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Overview

A portmanteau or portmanteau word is a blend of words in which parts of multiple words are combined into a new word, as in smog, coined by blending smoke and fog, or motel, from motor and hotel. In linguistics, a portmanteau is a single morph that is analyzed as representing two (or more) underlying morphemes. When portmanteaus shorten established compounds, they can be considered clipped compounds.

Origin

The word portmanteau was introduced in this sense by Lewis Carroll in the book Through the Looking-Glass (1871), where Humpty Dumpty explains to Alice the coinage of unusual words used in "Jabberwocky". Slithy means "slimy and lithe" and mimsy means "miserable and flimsy". Humpty Dumpty explains to Alice the practice of combining words in various ways:
You see it's like a portmanteau—there are two meanings packed up into one word.

Examples in English

Many neologisms are examples of blends, but many blends have become part of the lexicon. In Punch in 1896, the word brunch (breakfast + lunch) was introduced as a "portmanteau word". In 1964, the newly independent African republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar chose the portmanteau word Tanzania as its name. Similarly Eurasia is a portmanteau of Europe and Asia.

Other languages

Modern Hebrew abounds with European mechanisms such as blending. Along with CD, or simply דיסק (disk), Hebrew has the blend תקליטור (taklitor), which consists of תקליט (taklít, 'phonograph record') and אור (or, 'light'). Other blends in Hebrew include the following:
• ערפיח (arpíakh, 'smog'), from ערפל (arafél, 'fog') and פיח (píakh, 'soot')
• מדרחוב (midrakhov, 'pedestrian-only street'), from מדרכה (midrakhá, 'sidewalk') and רחוב (rekhóv, 'street')

Portmanteau morph

In linguistics, a blend is an amalgamation or fusion of independent lexemes, while a portmanteau or portmanteau morph is a single morph that is analyzed as representing two (or more) underlying morphemes. For example, in the Latin word animalis, the ending -is is a portmanteau morph because it is used for two morphemes: the singular number and the genitive case. In English, two separate morphs are used: of an animal. Other examples include French: à le → au [o] and de le →

See also

• Amalgamation (names)
• Hybrid word
• List of geographic portmanteaus
• List of portmanteaus
• Portmanteau sentence

1.Portmanteau Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

Url:https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portmanteau

1 hours ago The meaning of PORTMANTEAU is a large suitcase. How to use portmanteau in a sentence. Did you know?

2.portmanteau word | Definition, Origin, & Examples

Url:https://www.britannica.com/topic/portmanteau-word

7 hours ago  · A portmanteau (pronounced port-MAN-toe) is a word made by blending at least two words. The new word combines both the sounds and meanings of the originals. To form a …

3.Portmanteau Meaning and 56 Examples | Grammarly Blog

Url:https://www.grammarly.com/blog/portmanteaus/

13 hours ago  · What is a portmanteau word, or a portmanteau? A one-sentence definition is easy enough: a portmanteau word is, in summary, a word that has been formed by blending two …

4.What is a Portmanteau Word? – Interesting Literature

Url:https://interestingliterature.com/2020/04/what-is-a-portmanteau-word-definition-introduction-examples/

24 hours ago portmanteau. / ( pɔːtˈmæntəʊ) /. noun plural -teaus or -teaux (-təʊz) (formerly) a large travelling case made of stiff leather, esp one hinged at the back so as to open out into two …

5.Portmanteau - Wikipedia

Url:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portmanteau

23 hours ago  · Portmanteau Wouldn’t you know it, portmanteau is an autological word—a word that describes itself. That is, portmanteau is a portmanteau! It comes from the French words …

6.Portmanteau Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

Url:https://www.dictionary.com/browse/portmanteau

6 hours ago Interestingly, “portmanteau” is itself a portmanteau! It comes from the French words porter, meaning “to carry” and manteau, meaning “mantle.” The word originally referred to a travel …

7.Portmanteau Words You Never Thought Of | Portmanteau …

Url:https://www.rd.com/article/portmanteau-words/

32 hours ago A portmanteau is an old-fashioned suitcase with a hinge in the middle that can hold equal amounts of luggage in its two storage compartments. HG Wells had this sense of the word in …

8.What Is a Portmanteau? Definition and Examples - TCK …

Url:https://www.tckpublishing.com/portmanteau/

35 hours ago Portmanteau, pronounced “port-man-tow,” refers to a new word made from two words and their meanings. For example, the portmanteau brunch refers to a combined meal of breakfast and …

9.What is a Portmanteau? || Oregon State Guide to Literary …

Url:https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/what-portmanteau

13 hours ago

10.100 Portmanteau Examples of Creative Combined Words

Url:https://examples.yourdictionary.com/100-portmanteau-examples-of-creative-combined-words.html

8 hours ago

11.Videos of What is a Portmanteau word

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