Portmanteau: Literary Device

Etymology of Portmanteau

The word “portmanteau” comes from the French language. It originally referred to a large traveling bag with two compartments. It is a combination of two French words: porter, which means “to carry,” and manteau, which means “cloak.” The concept of combining two separate compartments into a single bag led to the word’s figurative meaning, which is to blend or merge two words or concepts to create a new word.

Meanings of Portmanteau

• Combination of words or parts of words
• Blending of sounds and meanings
• Creating a new word by merging two or more words together
• Forming a concise expression or term by combining elements
• Utilizing a linguistic technique to create a compact and unique word
• A literary device that condenses or abbreviates language through fusion
• Combining the characteristics or qualities of two or more words into one
• Inventive word formation by merging lexical elements

Portmanteau in Grammar

• Grammatically “Portmanteau” is;
  • Singular noun: “portmanteau”
  • Plural forms: “portmanteaux” or “portmanteaus”
• Verb Agreement with “Portmanteau”
  • Subject of the sentence: Verb is singular
  • Verb form depends on the context of use

Definition of Portmanteau

A portmanteau, as a linguistic phenomenon, refers to the amalgamation of two or more lexical units or morphemes, resulting in a new word form. It involves the combination of both the sounds and meanings of the constituent words, thereby creating a novel lexical entity. This literary device serves as a means of linguistic condensation, enabling the concise expression of complex ideas by merging linguistic elements into a single cohesive unit.

Types of Portmanteaus

Different types of portmanteau words can be created by blending two or more words. Here are some common types of portmanteaus:

Type	Definition	Example
Blends	Created by blending the sounds and meanings of two or more words.	“brunch” (breakfast + lunch)
Compound Blends	Combining two or more words, where each word retains its original meaning.	“spork” (spoon + fork)
Alphabet Blends	Combines two words by taking the initial letter(s) from one word and combining it with the remaining letters from another word.	“sitcom” (situation + comedy)
Sound-alike Blends	Combining words that have similar sounds or phonetic patterns.	“fantabulous” (fantastic + fabulous)
Backronyms	Combining a word with an acronym created specifically to fit that word.	“spork” (spoon + fork)
Clipping and Blends	Combining a clipped (shortened) word with another word to create a new word.	“brunch” (breakfast + lunch)
Phonetic Blends	Combining words based on their phonetic sounds or rhyming patterns.	“puggle” (pug + beagle)
Semantic Blends	Combining words based on their semantic or meaning-related characteristics.	“infotainment” (information + entertainment)
Contractions	Combining and contracting two words, typically by omitting some letters or sounds.	“can’t” (cannot)
Acronyms as Portmanteaus	Using acronyms by combining the initial letters of multiple words.	“NATO” (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)
Proper Name Blends	Combining the names of individuals to create a new name.	“Brangelina” (Brad Pitt + Angelina Jolie)
Onomatopoeic Blends	Combining words that imitate or resemble the sounds they describe.	“buzzword” (buzz + word)
Language Blends	Combining words from different languages.	“Spanglish” (Spanish + English)
Technological Blends	Combining words related to technology or digital concepts.	“cyborg” (cybernetic + organism)
Brand Blends	Combining parts of brand names or trademarks to form a new word.	“Microsoft” (microcomputer + software)

Common Examples of Portmanteau

There are many common everyday examples of portmanteau words in the English language. Here are some examples:

1. Brunch: A meal that combines elements of breakfast and lunch.
2. Spork: A utensil that combines the features of a spoon and a fork.
3. Chocoholic: A person who is addicted to chocolate.
4. Infomercial: A television advertisement that provides information about a product.
5. Blog: A website or online platform where an individual or group shares their thoughts and opinions.
6. Smog: A type of air pollution that is a mixture of smoke and fog.
7. Animatronic: A robot or mechanical device that resembles an animal and is animated by motors.
8. Podcast: A digital audio or video program that can be downloaded or streamed online.
9. Ginormous: Extremely large or enormous.
10. Edutainment: A form of entertainment that is designed to educate and inform as well as entertain.

These are just a few examples of the many portmanteau words that are commonly used in everyday English.

Literary Examples of Portmanteau

Example	Reference	Type	Explanation
Chortle	Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass	Sound-alike Blend	In the novel, “chortle” describes the sound made by the Jabberwock when it is killed. It combines “chuckle” and “snort” to capture the creature’s unusual nature and its demise.
Smog	C. P. Snow’s Lecture “The Two Cultures”	Compound Blend	C. P. Snow used “smog” to describe environmental pollution in cities. The word blends “smoke” and “fog” to convey the hazy and polluted atmosphere of urban environments.
Spork	Edward Lear’s Poem “The Owl and the Pussycat”	Compound Blend	This poem shows the characters eat with a “runcible spoon.” Though a nonsense word, “runcible” has been associated with utensils like the “spork,” combining spoon and fork functions.
Brunch	Guy Beringer’s Essay “Brunch: A Plea”	Compound Blend	Beringer proposed “brunch” as a mealtime between breakfast and lunch in his article. The word merges “breakfast” and “lunch,” suggesting a relaxed and enjoyable start to the day.
Mocktail	Katherine Applegate’s Novel The One and Only Ivan	Compound Blend	In the children’s book, Stella the elephant makes a “mocktail” for the other animals—a non-alcoholic version of a cocktail. The word blends “mock” and “cocktail.”
Frenemy	J. K. Rowling’s Novel Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire	Compound Blend	Barty Crouch Jr. refers to the relationship between Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory as a “frenemy” situation. The word blends “friend” and “enemy,” describing a relationship where two people are both friends and rivals.

Suggested Readings

1. Borg, Ruben. “Neologizing in Finnegans Wake: Beyond a Typology of the Wakean Portmanteau.” Poetics Today 28.1 (2007): 143-164.
2. Carroll, Lewis. Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There. Penguin Classics, 2015.
3. Crystal, David. Words, Words, Words. Oxford University Press, 2007.
4. Eco, Umberto. Semiotics and the Philosophy of Language. Indiana University Press, 1984.
5. Lodge, David. The Art of Fiction. Penguin, 1992.
6. Quinion, Michael. Port Out, Starboard Home: And Other Language Myths. Penguin, 2006.
7. Shipley, Joseph T. The Origins of English Words: A Discursive Dictionary of Indo-European Roots. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1984.
8. Tufte, Edward R. Envisioning Information. Graphics Press, 1990.