Fun With Words!

Chortle at this edutainment: What is a portmanteau? It’s a French word meaning “a large trunk or suitcase,” but in English it also means a word combined by blending two words.  Think smog (smoke + fog)...--duolingo.com

You read it first in The Factory in Guide magazine.

I like learning new things everyday! Do you? Today, I just learned about the meanings of portmanteau.  Words are fun! And new words are being made everyday. Did you know you can make new words out of old words?  For instance, do you know the word fortnight? It is a combination of parts of two words: Fourteen and Night. So a fortnight means fourteen nights or two weeks.  This is also considered a portmanteau.  

The original word portmanteau (pronounced port+man+toe) meant a “large trunk or suitcase that would open into two equal halves”. Portmanteau itself is an example, combining the French words for carry (porter) and coat (manteau) into a coat carrier. But it now also means a word made by the blending of parts of two other words creating a meaning all its own. A portmanteau is a literary device that encourages linguistic creativity.

Some current examples of portmanteaus are Wikipedia, which is a portmanteau of wiki (Hawaiian for fast) and encyclopedia; or chillax, a combination of chill and relax, meaning to calm down.  What examples can you think of?  

It's impossible to give an exact number of portmanteaus that exist, as new ones are constantly being created. However, Wikipedia lists a substantial number, one source mentions around 800, but this is just a sample, and the actual number is likely much higher. 

The more popular terms used are words like spork, which combines the words spoon and fork; or froyo, which combines the words frozen and yogurt; and even labradoodle which combines the words labrador and poodle. Have you used any of these?  You may even have had frozen yogurt or may have a labradoodle!!  Then there is the word webinar, which is a combination of web and seminar. Have you had the experience of having classes using this type of technology? It was made very popular and necessary during the COVID 19 outbreak.

Can you make up some portmanteaus of your own?  If so, write in and let us know what ones you come up with!  You never know, some might even end up in the latest Wikipedia list of the most popular!!

The more new things that are invented and the more new words that are made, the more our vocabulary will increase.  This reminds me of the Bible verse in Daniel 12:4, where it says, “...many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."  Let’s keep learning all we can until Jesus comes!!

—Carol Lyons, Assistant
Discovery Mountain

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.