4 ms·
I didn't realize the term applied to stuff like `sitcom`, I thought it was a requirement that the result used part of the start of one word and the end of anoth
by strbean 1y ago
I didn't realize the term applied to stuff like `sitcom`, I thought it was a requirement that the result used part of the start of one word and the end of another. TIL!
- thaumasiotes 11mo ago> I didn't realize the term applied to stuff like `sitcom` It doesn't. You might note that e.g. wiktionary categorizes motel as a "blend", but sitcom as a "shortening".
- foobarbecue 11mo agoMotel and sitcom are portmanteaus -- they're some of the most common examples used when defining the term "portmanteau" . "Blend" and "shortening" are necessary-but-not-sufficient synonyms for portmanteau. Your error here is that you imply "because it's a blend, it's not a portmanteau." All portmanteaus are blends. All portmanteaus are shortenings. Some blends are portmanteaus. Some shortenings are portmanteaus.