portmanteau

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Alternative spellings 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Etymology 1 1.3.1 Noun 1.3.1.1 Translations 1.4 Etymology 2 1.4.1 Noun 1.4.1.1 Synonyms 1.4.1.2 Translations 1.4.2 Adjective 1.4.2.1 Quotations 1.4.3 Derived terms 1.5 See also

[edit] English

Wikipedia

[edit] Alternative spellings

• (travelling case): portmantua

[edit] Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /pɔːtˈmæn.təʊ/, SAMPA: /pO:t"m{nt@U/
• (US) enPR: pôrt'măntō, IPA: /pɔːrtˈmæntoʊ/, SAMPA: /pO:rt"m{ntou/
•  Audio 1 (US)^{help, file}
•  Audio 2 (US)^{help, file}

[edit] Etymology 1

From French portemanteau, literally porte (“‘carry’”) + manteau (“‘coat’”)

[edit] Noun

portmanteau (plural portmanteaus or portmanteaux)

1. A large travelling case usually made of leather, and opening into two equal sections.
   • 1667, Charles Croke, Fortune's Uncertainty:

     Rodolphus therefore finding such an earnest Invitation, embrac'd it with thanks, and with his Servant and Portmanteau, went to Don Juan's; where they first found good Stabling for their Horses, and afterwards as good Provision for themselves.

[edit] Translations

[edit] Etymology 2

Coined by Lewis Carrol in Through The Looking Glass to describe the words he coined in Jabberwocky.

[edit] Noun

portmanteau (plural portmanteaus or portmanteaux)

1. (linguistics) A portmanteau word.
   • 1872, Lewis Carroll, Through The Looking Glass (Chapter VI. Humpty Dumpty), the first usage in this sense:

     Well, “slithy” means “lithe and slimy.” “Lithe” is the same as “active”. You see it’s like a portmanteau–there are two meanings packed up into one word.

[edit] Synonyms

• (portmanteau word): blend, frankenword, portmanteau word

[edit] Translations

• See portmanteau word

[edit] Adjective

portmanteau (not comparable)

1. (used only before a noun, of a word, story, etc.) Made by combining two words, stories, etc., in the manner of a linguistic portmanteau.

[edit] Quotations

• 2002, Nicholas Lezard, Spooky tales by the master and friends in The Guardian (London) (December 14, 2002) page 30:

  The overall narrator of this portmanteau story - for Dickens co-wrote it with five collaborators on his weekly periodical, All the Year Round - expresses deep, rational scepticism about the whole business of haunting.

• 2002, Nick Bradshaw, One day in September in Time Out (December 11, 2002) Page 71:

  We're so bombarded with images, it's a struggle to preserve our imaginations.' In response, he's turned to cinema, commissioning 11 film-makers to contribute to a portmanteau film, entitled '11'09"01' and composed of short films each running 11 minutes, nine seconds and one frame.

[edit] Derived terms

• portmanteau film
• portmanteau word

[edit] See also

• List of portmanteau words defined in Wiktionary
• Wikipedia article on portmanteaus (cases and words)