ABSTRACT
Blending is a type of word formation. It is a combination of clipping and compounding in which new words are created by the overlap of words or fragments of existing words:
sham+amateur→shamateur motor+hotel→motel
The fragments are not necessarily morphemes at the time of the blend although they may become so later if several blends are made with the same fragments:
motor+pedal→moped motor+town→Motown
and the jocular:
motor+bike→mobike
Many blends are isolated, one-off creations:
manimal (man+animal) marleyvous (Marley tiles+marvellous)
but others have become or are becoming part of the language:
Amerindian (American+Indian) breathalyser (breath+analyser) brunch (breakfast+lunch) happenstance (happen+circumstance) smog (smoke+fog) tawdry (St Audrey)
A notable part of the word-play in James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake involves such various forms of blending as:
1 discontinuous-ventitillated (ventilated+titillated) 2 enclosing-voluntears (volunteers+tears) 3 overlapping-blessens (bless+lessens) 4 punning-handmades (handmade+hand maids)
See: clipping, compound, derivation, word formation.
