A linguistic oddity that pervades the English language far more than many realize is the portmanteau word. Portmanteau words are “blend” words that are derived by combining sections of two or more separate words. Some famous examples include the “nonsense” words in Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky”, such as “slithy” (compounded of slimy and lithe).
A list of more common portmanteau words that you may never have realized are such appears at this portmanteau words site.
Ernster, the Virtual Library Cat
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