Portmanteaux: meaning, definitions and examples
๐งณ
portmanteaux
[ pษหrtหmรฆntoส ]
linguistic term
A portmanteau is a word that is formed by blending the sounds and meanings of two different words. The resulting word typically combines both the phonetic and conceptual aspects of the original terms.
Synonyms
Examples of usage
- brunch (breakfast + lunch)
- smog (smoke + fog)
- motel (motor + hotel)
- ginormous (gigantic + enormous)
Translations
Translations of the word "portmanteaux" in other languages:
๐ต๐น portmanteaux
๐ฎ๐ณ เคชเฅเคฐเฅเคเคฎเฅเคจเฅเคเฅ
๐ฉ๐ช Portmanteaux
๐ฎ๐ฉ portmanteaux
๐บ๐ฆ ะฟะพััะผะฐะฝัะตะฝ
๐ต๐ฑ portmanteaux
๐ฏ๐ต ใใผใใใณใau
๐ซ๐ท portmanteaux
๐ช๐ธ portmanteaux
๐น๐ท portmanteaux
๐ฐ๐ท ํฌํธ๋งนํ
๐ธ๐ฆ portmanteaux
๐จ๐ฟ portmanteaux
๐ธ๐ฐ portmanteaux
๐จ๐ณ ็ฎ็ฎฑ
๐ธ๐ฎ portmanteaux
๐ฎ๐ธ portmanteaux
๐ฐ๐ฟ portmanteaux
๐ฌ๐ช แแแ แขแแแแขแ
๐ฆ๐ฟ portmanteaux
๐ฒ๐ฝ portmanteaux
Etymology
The term 'portmanteau' originates from the French word 'portemanteau', which means 'to carry a coat'. The word was first used in English in the late 19th century to describe a suitcase with two compartments. However, its linguistic meaning was popularized by British author Lewis Carroll in his poem 'Through the Looking-Glass', published in 1871. Carroll used 'portmanteau' to describe the combination of two words into one, where each part contributes to the overall meaning, similar to how a suitcase carries clothes. Over time, the term has expanded to refer to any blended word in the English language.