Portmanteau Words

The majority of voters this past week were correct in saying that snirt is a noun. Snirt is found in the Midwest at the end of winter. It is the combination of snow and dirt found on the side of roads and in parking lots. The word (snirt) itself, which a combination of the words snow and dirt, is what is considered a portmanteau word. Portmanteau words are those that are formed by combining the sounds and meanings of two different words. They are considered a linguistic blend. The reason this type of linguistic blend is called a portmanteau word comes from the meaning ... Read Full Story

Contest Time Again Everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy the Most Unusual Word Contest this past spring. There were many great entries and some outstandingly unusual winning words. The contest was so enjoyable that I thought it would be fun to have another contest. What kind of contest? Well, the recent posts about creative portmanteau words got me to thinking, "Why not create some more?" To refresh your memory - Portmanteau words are those that are formed by combining the sounds and meanings of two different words Please follow the directions below and enter to win "A Walk in the Words" T-Shirts and other prizes. ... Read Full Story

I enjoyed last week's portmanteau word, afterthoughtful , so much that I thought I would give some more examples of portmanteau words (words that are formed by combining the sounds and meanings of two different words). Older Portmanteau Words: Electrocute (electric + execute) Pixel (picture + element) Telethon (telephone + marathon) Chortle (chuckle + snort) Brunch (breakfast + lunch) Motel (motor + hotel) Camcorder (camera + recorder) Rockumentary (rock + documentary) More Recent Portmanteau Words: Guesstimate (guess + estimate) Internet (international + network) Blog (web + log) Smirting (smoking + flirting) came about when offices went no smoking (employees go outside to take a ... Read Full Story

In honor of the Create a Portmanteau Word Contest, here are a few more newly created portmanteau words from the October "Word Fugitives" column by Barbara Wallraff in the Atlantic Magazine. A reader was looking for a good word to describe things like ATMs or drugstores "that seem ubiquitous when you aren't looking for them but that are nowhere to be found when you are"? The responses from other readers included the following portmanteau words - neverywhere (never + everywhere) fewbiquitous (few + ubiquitous) elusiversal (elusive + universal) Read Full Story

For word lovers like myself, the Atlantic Magazine runs a column called "Word Fugitives" by Barbara Wallraff. The July/August column included responses to a woman's request for a word to describe her husband's " uncanny ability to to ask if I need help with a household task at the exact moment that I am finishing it." Of the many words that readers suggested, the one that was judged to be the "most precise and economical" expression for this ability of the woman's husbands was, not surprisingly, a portmanteau word. afterthoughtful (afterthought + thoughtful) What a sensational word. The next time my husband offers to ... Read Full Story