20190118

10 Portmanteau words



A portmanteau is literally a bag for carrying (porter) a coat (manteau). The term was first used by Humpty Dumpty in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass:
“Well, ‘slithy’ means “lithe and slimy” and ‘mimsy’ is “flimsy and miserable”. You see it’s like a portmanteau - there are two meanings packed up into one word.” Sometimes we get so used to these words we no longer see them as blends (eg breathalyser - breath and analyser)

  1. Bionic (biology/electronic): Artificial body parts that have been enhanced by technology
  2. Bodacious (bold/audacious): Insolent or unrestrained, extraordinary or impressively large
  3. Chortle (chuckle/snort): Laugh in a breathy, gleeful way.
  4. Cyborg (cybernetic/organism): A human or fictional entity whose physiological functioning is enhanced by mechanical elements.
  5. Dumbfound (dumb/confound): Greatly astonish or amaze.
  6. Edutainment (education/entertainment): Games or other forms of entertainment that have an educational aspect
  7. Electrocution (electricity/execution): Death by electricity
  8. Flare (flame/glare): A sudden brief burst of bright flame or light
  9. Ginormous (giant/enormous): Large, huge. glamping (glamour/camping): Luxury camping
  10. Glitz (glamour/Ritz): Extravagant yet superficial

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