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What is a Portmanteaus? |
| A Portmanteaus is a large suitcase that opens into two compartments, but it also is used to describe a word created by blending two or more words - and their meanings. Lewis Carroll was the one that came up with this word. A Portmanteaus is different than a compound word in that in many cases the words are combined using sometimes just part of the words rather than just putting the two words together. Most compound words are easy to recognize (crossroad, classroom, overcoat), but portmaneous often slip into the language and become common words, and we no longer recognize them being created from other words (doodle, motel, or slang). |
| aerosol | aero + solution | flop | flap + drop |
| bash | bang + smash | flurry | flutter + hurry |
| blurt | blow + spurt | gimp | game + limp |
| brash | bold + rash | goon | gorilla + baboon |
| breathalyzer | breath + analyzer | humongous | huge + tremendous |
| brunch | breakfast + lunch | intercom | internal + communication |
| camcorder | camera + recorder | internet | international + network |
| cellophane | cellulose + diaphane | moped | motor + pedal |
| charbroil | charcoal + broil | motel | motor + hotel |
| chortle | chuckle + snort | Muppet | marionette + puppet |
| chump | chunk + lump | paratrooper | parachute + trooper |
| clink | click + clank | prod | poke + rod |
| cosmonaut | cosmos + astronaut | rubbage | rubbish + garbage |
| con man | confidence + man | rustle | rush + hustle |
| ditsy | dizzy + dotty | scrunch | squeeze + crunch |
| doodle | dodder + toddle | sitcom | situation + comedy |
| dumbfound | dumb + confound | slang | slovenly + language |
| electrocute | electric + execute | smog | smoke + fog |
| farewell | fare + ye + well | squiggle | squirm + wiggle |
| flabbergast | flap + aghast | swipe | sweep + wipe |
| flare | flame + glare | telecast | television + broadcast |
| flaunt | flout + vaunt | twirl | twist + whirl |
Wikipedia - The free internet encyclopedia list of Portmanteous
Encyclopedia-4-U - Another internet site with a nice list of Portmanteous
Complete Translation - This site has an excellent discussion of how many words get created by blending words.