portmanteau
/pɔːrtˈmæntoʊ/
noun
Origin
French
porter + manteau — to carry + cloak
Overview
Meaning Now
- A large, stiff suitcase that opens into two equal parts.
- A word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two others (e.g., 'smog' from 'smoke' and 'fog').
Literal older meaning
A cloak-carrier (from French 'porter' + 'manteau').
Language path
Old French → Middle French → English
Earliest form
portemanteau
Earliest period
16th century
Journey
The linguistic use of 'portmanteau' was popularized by Lewis Carroll in 'Through the Looking-Glass' (1871). When Humpty Dumpty explains the words 'slithy' and 'mimsy' to Alice, he describes them as being like a portmanteau—two meanings packed into one word.
Evolution
- 16th century (Middle French)
portemanteau
“An official who carried the king's mantle; later, a traveling bag.”
Initially referred to a court official.
- 17th century (English)
portmanteau
“A suitcase.”
Loanword from French.
- 1871 (English)
portmanteau
“A linguistic blend.”
Coined by Lewis Carroll in 'Through the Looking-Glass'.
Connections
Word parts
porte
root
carry
manteau
root
cloak
Related across languages
French
portemanteau
coat rack or clothes hanger
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Related to portmanteau
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.