Word Blends Definition and Examples

A word blend is formed by combining two separate words with different meanings to form a new one. These words are often created to describe a new invention or phenomenon that combines the definitions or traits of two existing things.   Word Blends and Their Parts Word blends are also known as portmanteau (pronunciation port-MAN-toe), a French word meaning trunk or suitcase. Author Lewis Carroll is credited with coining this term in Through the Looking-Glass, published in 1871. In that book, Humpty Dumpty tells Alice about making up new words from parts of existing ones: You see its like a portmanteau—there are two meanings packed up into one word. There are different ways of creating word blends. One way is to combine portions of two other words to make a new one. These word fragments are called morphemes, the  smallest units of meaning in a language. The word camcorder, for example, combines parts of camera and recorder. Word blends can also be created by joining a full word with a portion of another word (called a splinter). For example, the word motorcade combines motor plus a  portion of cavalcade. Word blends can also be formed by overlapping or combining phonemes, which are parts of two words that sound alike. One example of an overlapping word blend is Spanglish, which is an informal mix of spoken English and Spanish. Blends can also be formed through the omission of phonemes. Geographers sometimes refer to Eurasia, the landmass that combines Europe and Asia. This blend is formed by taking the first syllable of Europe and adding it to the word Asia. The Blend Trend English is a dynamic language that is constantly evolving. Many of the words in the English language are derived from ancient Latin and Greek or from other European languages such as German or French. But starting in the 20th century, blended words began to emerge to describe new technologies or cultural phenomena. For instance, as dining out became more popular, many restaurants began serving a new weekend meal in the late morning. It was too late for breakfast and too early for lunch, so someone decided to make a new word that described a meal that was a little bit of both. Thus, brunch was born. As new inventions changed the way people lived and worked, the practice of combining parts of words to make new ones became popular. In the 1920s, as traveling by car became more common, a new kind of hotel that catered to drivers emerged. These motor hotels quickly proliferated and became known as motels. In 1994, when a rail tunnel beneath the English Channel opened, connecting France and Great Britain, it quickly became known as the Chunnel, a word blend of Channel and tunnel. New word blends are being created all the time as cultural and technological trends emerge. In 2018, Merriam-Webster added the word mansplaining to their dictionary. This blended word, which combines man and explaining, was coined to describe the habit that some men have of explaining things in a condescending manner.  Ã‚   Examples Here are some examples of word blends and their roots: Blended word Root word 1 Root word 2 agitprop agitation propaganda bash bat mash biopic biography picture Breathalyzer breath analyzer clash clap crash docudrama documentary drama electrocute electricity execute emoticon emotion icon fanzine fan magazine frenemy friend enemy Globish global English infotainment information entertainment moped motor pedal pulsar pulse quasar sitcom situation comedy sportscast sports broadcast staycation stay vacation telegenic television photogenic workaholic work alcoholic