12 Portmanteau
Portmanteaus are two words blended together to make a new word. The word “motel” is a portmanteau combining “motor” and “hotel.” As wordplay, writers can use a portmanteau to create a new concept that hasn’t been put into words yet.
Example: In Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, Alice comes across the word “slithy,” which stumps her. Humpty Dumpty explains to her: “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.”
