A portmanteau is a blended word that is formed by combining two words. In that case, you might wonder if they are compound words. To that, the answer is no. So, what are portmanteaus? Find out from the article the meaning and definition of portmanteau and how they are formed. Furthermore, check out the list of portmanteau words and enrich your vocabulary.
Table of Contents
- What Are Portmanteaus? – Meaning and Definition
- How Are Portmanteau Words Formed?
- How Is a Portmanteau Word Different from a Compound Word?
- List of 100+ Most Common Portmanteau Words in English
- Frequently Asked Questions on Portmanteau Words in English
What Are Portmanteaus? – Meaning and Definition
The term ‘portmanteau’ refers to words that are created with the combination of the beginning of a word and the ending of another word. The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines a portmanteau as “a word that is invented by combining the beginning of one word and the end of another and keeping the meaning of each”. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms defines a portmanteau word as “a word concocted by fusing two different words together into one”.
How Are Portmanteau Words Formed?
Generally, portmanteau words are formed by putting the first part of a word and the latter part of another word together. There are, however, some portmanteau words that are formed in other ways. Here is one example. You can take the first few letters of one word, the first few letters of the second word and the last one or two letters of the first word. This method is found when the two words have similar spellings. ‘Slithy’ – a combination of ‘slimy’ and ‘lithe’ is an example of this method. The word was coined by Lewis Carroll and used in his novel, ‘Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There’. He explains the idea of portmanteaus as follows, “Well, ‘SLITHY’ means ‘lithe and slimy.’ ‘Lithe’ is the same as ‘active.’ You see it’s like a portmanteau — there are two meanings packed up into one word.”
Now, does the pronunciation of the portmanteau word differ completely? The sounds of the letters in both words mostly remain the same as it is not random letters but syllables that are combined to form a portmanteau word.
The next question that would arise in your mind would be regarding the meaning of the portmanteau words. What do you think? Does the meaning of the portmanteau words differ from the individual words? It doesn’t exactly have a different meaning; it has a combined meaning. Take a look at the following list of examples to understand how exactly they are formed and used.
List of 100+ Most Common Portmanteau Words in English
Word 1 | Word 2 | Portmanteau Word | Meaning of the Portmanteau Word |
---|---|---|---|
Motor | Hotel | Motel | A roadside hotel meant primarily for motorists |
Education | Entertainment | Edutainment | TV programmes, songs, movies, video games, etc. that are both educational and entertaining |
Biography | Picture | Biopic | A film that presents the life and works of renowned personalities |
Ankle | Bracelet | Anklet | An ornament like the bracelet worn around the ankle |
Breakfast | Lunch | Brunch | A meal eaten in the late morning instead of having breakfast and lunch |
Emotion | Icon | Emoticon | Icons that represent facial expressions either with the use of various keyboard characters or with digital representations |
Hungry | Angry | Hangry | The quality of being angry since one is hungry |
Smoke | Fog | Smog | An atmosphere where fog is made even more intense with the release of smoke |
iPod | Broadcast | Podcast | A programme that is available for listening on the internet |
Jeans | Legging | Jegging | A legging made of stretchable fabric and looks like tight-fitted denim jeans |
Guess | Estimate | Guesstimate | An estimate drawn based on guesswork |
Mock | Cocktail | Mocktail | A non-alcoholic drink that is a mixture of soft drinks and fruit juices |
Pop | Icicle | Popsicle | Flavoured ice cream on a stick |
Television | Broadcast | Telecast | Broadcast something on a television |
Labrador | Poodle | Labradoodle | A dog breed that has the characteristics of both a labrador and a poodle |
Fourteen | Night | Fortnight | A period of fourteen nights or two weeks |
Costume | Roleplay | Cosplay | The action of dressing up as a particular character from a movie, book, TV series or video game |
Animation | Electronics | Animatronics | The techniques used to design, develop and operate lifelike robots most often to be used in movies, video games and other entertainment |
Blue | Purple | Blurple | A colour formed by a blend of blue and purple |
Autobiography | Fiction | Autobiografiction | An autobiographical work that is fictionalised |
Advertisement | Editorial | Advertorial | An advertisement in a newspaper or magazine that is presented in the form of an editorial |
Breath | Analyser | Breathalyser | A device used by the police force to analyse the level of alcohol in a person’s breath |
Athletic | Leisure | Athleisure | Casual and comfortable wear for exercise as well as for everyday use |
Cybernetic | Organism | Cyborg | A hypothetical or fictional character whose mental and physical abilities are way more advanced and efficient than a normal human being |
Alphabetic | Numeric | Alphanumeric | A combination of both numeric and alphabetic characters |
Celebrity | Debutante | Celebutante | A debutante with media attention to the extent that they could be considered a celebrity |
Brother | Romance | Bromance | A close and friendly relationship between two men |
Friend | Enemy | Frenemy | An individual who acts like a friend but is in fact, a rival or an enemy |
Romance | Comedy | Romcom | Refers to a romantic comedy |
Tragedy | Comedy | Tragicomedy | Refers to a genre that has characteristics of both a tragedy and a comedy |
Internal | Communication | Intercom | A device that lets you communicate one-way or both ways, mostly not intended for public communication |
Documentary | Drama | Docudrama | A film based on real-life events or facts |
Web | Seminar | Webinar | A seminar that is content online |
Interconnected | Network | Internet | A medium consisting of multiple networks that are interconnected to provide information and allow communication |
Medical | Care | Medicare | A programme designed to provide medical care, especially for the aged |
Frozen | Yoghurt | Froyo | A frozen dessert that is made with yoghurt |
Fact | Fiction | Faction | A genre that uses factual information or real-life events to create a work of fiction |
Sea | Landscape | Seascape | The view of the wide sea |
Store | Cache | Stash | Store something in a secret place |
Meta | Universe | Metaverse | A hypothetical three-dimensional virtual space that is single, shared and connected |
Video | Log | Vlog | A video record of news, media, travel, entertainment, etc., shared on the internet |
List | Article | Listicle | An article wholly or partly written in the form of lists |
Fan | Magazine | Fanzine | A magazine created by amateurs for fans |
Scrambled eggs | Omelette | Scromlette | An omelette that is scrambled so it is not an omelette and not scrambled enough to be called scrambled eggs |
Information | Commercial | Infomercial | An advertisement/ commercial which presents a product or an idea in an informative manner |
News | Broadcast | Newcast | News that is broadcast on radio or television |
Sound | Landscape | Soundscape | A combination of sounds in a given space and time |
Information | Entertainment | Infotainment | Any media that is broadcast with the intention of both informing and entertaining |
Banana | Toffee | Banoffee | A pie made of banana and toffee |
Broil | Roast | Broast | Food made by broiling and roasting |
Brain | Maniac | Brainiac | An adjective used to describe someone who is extremely intelligent |
Picture | Dictionary | Pictionary | A board game in which players have to identify what the pictures drawn by their teammates represent |
Croissant | Doughnut | Cronut | A pastry that is shaped and tastes like a doughnut but has the texture of a croissant |
Spoon | Ladle | Spoodle | A piece of cutlery that is neither a spoon nor a ladle, something in between |
Quesadilla | Burrito | Quesarito | It is a combination of a quesadilla and a burrito |
Electricity | Execute | Electrocute | To be injured as a result of electric shock |
Spoon | Fork | Spork | A spoon with lines at the tip like a fork |
Electronic | A medium of communication that allows you to share and receive mails/information online | ||
Chill | Relax | Chillax | To calm down and relax |
Cappuccino | Frappuccino | Frappré | A cold drink made with coffee, milk, ice, cream, chocolate chips or fruits |
Spoon | Knife | Spife | A piece of cutlery that is a combination of a spoon and a knife |
Fantastic | Fabulous | Fantabulous | Excellent |
Hazardous | Material | Hazmat | A substance that is harmful |
Celery | Lettuce | Celtuce | A vegetable that has the flavours of both a celery and a lettuce |
Dumb | Confounded | Dumbfounded | Completely amazed or astonished |
Arm | Anklet | Armlet | A piece of jewellery that is worn around the arm |
Mechanical | Electronics | Mechatronics | A field of engineering or technology that combines both mechanical and electronic elements |
Permanent | Frost | Permafrost | A permanently frozen layer of sedimentary soil and rock |
Blizzard | Disaster | Blizzaster | A very heavy and destructive blizzard or snowstorm |
Reproduce | Photography | Reprography | The process by which you can copy and reproduce any graphic material or documents |
Cellulose | Diaphane | Cellophane | A thin material made of cellulose and diaphane |
Smoke | Haze | Smaze | A mixture of haze and smoke |
Fun | Fantastic | Funtastic | An adjective used to describe something very enjoyable and entertaining |
Stay | Vacation | Staycation | A holiday that is spent at home including trips to local places |
Squirm | Wiggle | Squiggle | Wavy and twisting movement |
Television | Marathon | Telethon | A television show or programme that runs a whole day probably with the motive of raising money for charity |
Global | Localisation | Glocalisation | Altering the terms of a business to suit both local and global needs |
Transmitter | Responder | Transponder | A device that picks up signals and sends responses automatically, meant for communication and monitoring |
Handicapped | Capable | Handicapable | Refers to a disabled person |
Twist | Whirl | Twirl | Spin quickly and repeatedly |
Imagination | Engineering | Imagineering | Implementation of creative ideas into a practical element |
Trouser | Legging | Tregging | A legging that resembles trousers |
Work | Alcoholic | Workaholic | A person who keeps working the whole time and finds it difficult not to work |
Bit | Emoji | Bitmoji | A cartoonised image that resembles you, created with reference to your photograph |
Coder | Decoder | Codec | A device that compresses and decompresses large amounts of data and information |
Parallel | Olympics | Paralympics | A number of international contests for athletes with disabilities from all around the world |
Modulator | Demodulator | Modem | A device meant to do both modulation and demodulation |
Picture | Element | Pixel | The smallest unit of a graphical image or a digital display |
Internet | Citizen | Netizen | A keen user of the internet |
Screen | Snapshot | Screenshot | A snapshot of what is displayed on a mobile or computer screen |
Desktop | Notebook | Desknote | A non-portable computer that is the size of a notebook |
Window | Gadget | Widget | An application or a small computer program that can be added to the website or another application to perform additional functions |
Knowledge | Database | Knowledgebase | Information or date that is stored and can be drawn when necessary |
Telephone | Marketing | Telemarketing | A marketing procedure by which products or services are advertised and sold through telephones |
Multiple | Complex | Multiplex | A cinema theatre with multiple screens |
Telecommunications | Informatics | Telematics | The technology used to send, receive and store information, particularly transmitted over long distances |
Motorcycle | Cross country | Motocross | Refers to cross-country racing on motorcycles |
Parachute | Sailing | Parasailing | The adventurous activity of sailing in the air wearing an open parachute while being towed by a motorboat |
Motorised | Bicycle | Motorcycle | A motorbike |
Motor | Pedal | Moped | Either a light motorcycle which has to be driven by an initial pedalling supported by a motor or a bicycle which does not require pedalling |
Triple | Catamaran | Trimaran | A fast-sailing boat with three hulls – one in the centre and two on the sides, placed parallelly |
Electronic | Communication | Electrocommunication | The mode of communication that uses electronic signals to transmit information with the help of electronic devices such as computers, mobile phones, fax machines, etc. |
How Is a Portmanteau Word Different from a Compound Word?
When you look at the definition of a portmanteau word and a compound word, you might feel that they would be in some way similar. Well, no, they are not. The only similarity is that they are formed by combining two or more words to form new words. Let us see how they are different.
Portmanteau words | Compound words |
---|---|
Combination of two words to create an entirely new blended word. | Combination of two words to form hyphenated or non-hyphenated words. |
The first part of one word is combined with the last part of the other word. | The two words are combined without omitting any of the letters in the two words. |
For example, Permanent + Frost = Permafrost | For example, White + Wash = Whitewash |
Frequently Asked Questions on Portmanteau Words in English
Q1
What is a portmanteau word?
The term ‘portmanteau’ refers to words that are created with the combination of the beginning of a word and the ending of another word.
Q2
What is the definition of portmanteau?
The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines a portmanteau as “a word that is invented by combining the beginning of one word and the end of another and keeping the meaning of each”. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms defines a portmanteau word as “a word concocted by fusing two different words together into one”.
Q3
Give 10 examples of portmanteau words.
- Smog – smoke + fog
- Frappé – Frappuccino + Cappuccino
- Smaze – smoke + haze
- Telecast – television + broadcast
- Parasailing – parachute + sailing
- Motorcycle – motorised + bicycle
- Handicapable – handicapped + capable
- Electrocommunication – electronic + communication
- Vlog – video + log
- Staycation – stay + vacation