A.W.A.D. - Amalgam of Two Other Words

A portmanteau is a blend -- a word formed by combining two (or more) words. Lewis Carroll gave this name to such a word in "Through the Looking-Glass". As Humpty Dumpty explained to Alice, "You see it's like a portmanteau -- there are two meanings packed up into one word." A portmanteau is a travel bag that opens into two hinged compartments.

Carroll himself coined some fine portmanteaux such as chortle (chuckle + snort), and slithy (slimy + lithe). We have been using this fusion technique to coin names for countries: Tanzania (Tanganyika + Zanzibar), celebrities: Brangelina (Brad Pitt + Angelina Jolie), products: camcorder (camera + recorder), and beyond.

This week we'll see five words, each of which is an amalgam of two other words.

advertorial
PRONUNCIATION: (ad-vuhr-TOR-ee-uhl)
MEANING: noun: A newspaper or magazine ad resembling editorial content in style and layout.

ETYMOLOGY: Blend of advertisement + editorial. The radio/television equivalent of an advertorial is another blend word, infomercial: information + commercial.

cultivar
PRONUNCIATION: (KUHL-tuh-var)
MEANING: noun: A variety of plant that has been produced by selective breeding. A cultivar is developed for specific attributes and retains those attributes in further propagation.

ETYMOLOGY: Blend of cultivation + variety.

exurb
PRONUNCIATION: (EK-suhrb)
MEANING: noun: A residential area outside a city and beyond its suburbs, typically inhabited by well-to-do families.

ETYMOLOGY: A blend of ex- + suburb.

spokesmodel
PRONUNCIATION: (SPOKS-modl)
MEANING: noun: A model who acts as a spokesperson for a product or organization.

ETYMOLOGY: A blend of spokesman + model.

rollick
PRONUNCIATION: (ROL-ik)
MEANING: verb intr. To move or act in a playful, carefree manner.

ETYMOLOGY: Probably a blend of romp + frolic.

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