“Email” & A List of More Portmanteaus You Probably Didn’t Know

You’ve probably heard of the term portmanteau before but you just weren’t sure what it meant. A portmanteau is a term used to describe a new word made by combining two or more existing words to give it a new meaning.

These funky blended words were not invented yesterday; in fact, many beloved authors, like Lewis Carroll and James Joyce, have used these hybrid words to convey something special.

Lewis Carroll explained the concept in his novel Through the Looking Glass as something like a type of luggage with two equal parts. In the story, Humpty Dumpty helps Alice understand:

"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."

Interestingly, the word “portmanteau” itself is also a portmanteau. It's a combination of the French words "porter" (to carry) + "manteau" (cloak). Wordplay like this has been a staple of daily conversations for years. If you’re curious to know which English buzzwords are portmanteaus, just scroll down!

• Hungry + Angry = Hangry
• Spoon + Fork = Spork
• Situation + Comedy = Sitcom
• Man + Explaining = Mansplaining
• Friend + Enemy = Frenemy
• International + Network = Internet
• Biography + Picture = Biopic
• Picture + Element = Pixel
• Costume + Roleplay = Cosplay
• Breakfast + Lunch = Brunch
• iPod + Broadcast = Podcast
• Stay + Vacation = Staycation
• Electronic + Mail = Email
• Chill + Relax = Chillax
• Smoke + Fog = Smog
• Video + Blog = Vlog
• Motor + Hotel = Motel
• Frozen + Yogurt = Froyo
• Britain + Exit = Brexit
• Web + Seminar = Webinar