Portmanteau: meaning, definitions and examples

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portmanteau

 

[ pษ”หrtหˆmรฆntoสŠ ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

word combination

A portmanteau is a word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two others, for example, brunch (breakfast + lunch) or smog (smoke + fog). Portmanteaus are commonly used in the English language to create new words that convey a specific meaning.

Synonyms

blend, compound word

Examples of usage

  • A popular portmanteau is 'podcast' (iPod + broadcast), referring to digital audio or video files available for streaming or downloading.
  • 'Spork' is another well-known portmanteau, combining 'spoon' and 'fork' to describe a utensil with features of both.
  • The term 'staycation' (stay + vacation) became popular during the recession, describing a holiday spent at home instead of traveling.

Translations

Translations of the word "portmanteau" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น palavra-valise

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคธเคฎเคพเคธ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Kofferwort

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ kata gabungan

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ะฟะพั€ั‚ะผะฐะฝั‚ะพ

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ zล‚oลผenie

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ๆททๆˆ่ชž

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท mot-valise

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ palabra maleta

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท birleลŸik kelime

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ํ˜ผ์„ฑ์–ด

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ูƒู„ู…ุฉ ู…ุฑูƒุจุฉ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ kufล™รญkovรฉ slovo

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ spojenie slov

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ๆททๆˆ่ฏ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ zloลพenka

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ samsetningur

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ า›าฑั€ะฐะผะฐ ัำฉะท

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒจแƒ”แƒ แƒ”แƒฃแƒšแƒ˜ แƒกแƒ˜แƒขแƒงแƒ•แƒ

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ birlษ™ลŸmiลŸ sรถz

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ palabra maleta

Etymology

The term 'portmanteau' originates from French, where it originally referred to a suitcase with two compartments. The concept was later adopted by Lewis Carroll in his book 'Through the Looking-Glass', where he used 'portmanteau' to describe words that combine the sounds and meanings of two others. Since then, portmanteaus have become a popular linguistic phenomenon in English and other languages, allowing for the creation of innovative and expressive vocabulary.

Word Frequency Rank

At rank #27,415, this word represents specialized academic or technical vocabulary. It's less frequently encountered but may be valuable in specific contexts.