Jubjub Bird in the Tumtum Tree

I learned a new word today-- portmanteau-- from googling information about Cavendish Banana. First time for me to encounter that word, promise. [He wonders why the banana that Kat and I buy is all yellow outside and white inside. Plus the fact that it's relatively big. I always tell him "kase Cavendish Banana yun," adding (and sometimes inventing) more convincing words to describe it.] I found out in Wikipedia that it is the name for banana cultivar, from the words cultivated and variety. And cultivar is a portmanteau word.

A "portmanteau word" is a term used to describe a word that merges two different words. According to Wikipedia, it is a "linguistic blend". You form a term by "blending sounds from two or more distinct words and combining their meanings". Below are some examples:

• brunch = breakfast + lunch
• pixel = picture + element
• mimsy = miserable + flimsy
• flop = flap + drop
• malware = malicious + software
• glitz = glamour + ritz
• WiFi = wireless + fidelity
• frumious = fuming + furious
• motel = motor + hotel
• chillaxing = chilling + relaxing

"Taglish" and "Brangelina" fit into this category, too. And even Wikipedia, from Wiki and Encyclopedia, belongs to this group.

Anyway, after jumping from one hyperlink to another, I came across this poem of nonsense verse entitled Jabberwocky, written by Lewis Carroll for his novel "Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There". I had fun reading it.

Yeah, yeah, what a nerd. Well, it's a good tongue exercise full of portmanteu words!

JABBERWOCKY
Lewis Carroll

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

And they say that this is the greatest nonsense poem written in the English language. =)