Combining words to make a new word
86 Great Examples of Portmanteau – Vappingo
by Vappingo
A portmanteau is a word that is formed by combining two different terms to create a new entity. Through blending the sounds and meanings of two existing words, a portmanteau creates a new expression that is a linguistic blend of the two individual terms.
For example breathalyzer is the portmanteau word formed from combining breath and analyzer, while blog is derived from the source words web and log.
The Origin of the Word Portmanteau
The term portmanteau was first used by Humpty Dumpty in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass:
“Well, ‘slithy’ means “lithe and slimy” and ‘mimsy’ is “flimsy and miserable”. You see it’s like a portmanteau—there are two meanings packed up into one word.”
Interestingly, the word portmanteau itself is also a blend of two different words: porter (to carry) and manteau (a cloak).
Portmanteau words are extremely popular in modern-day English and new word combinations are regularly popping up. Below you will find 86 examples of portmanteau.
If you like this, take a look at our list of words you shouldn’t use in an essay.
86 Examples of Portmanteau and Their Definitions
- administrivia (administrative/trivia): Dull administration activities that must be completed.
- affluenza (affluence/influenza): The guilt or lack of motivation experienced by people who have made or inherited large amounts of money.
- anacronym (anachronism/acronym): An acronym that is derived from a phrase that is no longer in wide usage (for example, radar).
- animatronic (animate/electronics): Robots that are constructed to look like animals.
- anticipointment (anticipation/disappointment): The feeling of letdown one experiences when hype gives way to reality.
- bionic (biology/electronic): Artificial body parts that have been enhanced by technology.
- bodacious (bold/audacious): Insolent or unrestrained, extraordinary or impressively large.
- Bollywood (Bombay/Hollywood): The Indian movie industry.
- Brangelina (Brad/Angelina): Word used to describe the celebrity couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
- bromance (brother/romance): A close relationship between two men.
- brunch (breakfast + lunch): A meal that is eaten after breakfast but before lunch.
- carjack (car/hijack): To take someone’s car by force.
- celebutant(e) (celebrity/debutant(e)): Someone who is famous for being famous but who has no apparent talent.
- chillax (chill/relax): Calm down, rest.
- Chinglish (Chinese/English): A variation of the English language as spoken by people of Chinese descent.
- chocoholic (chocolate + alcoholic): Someone who eats excessive amounts of chocolate.
- chortle (chuckle/snort): Laugh in a breathy, gleeful way.
- Chunnel (channel/tunnel): Word used to describe the Channel Tunnel that runs between the UK and France.
- cineplex (cinema/complex): A movie theatre with several screens.
- Cocacolonization (Coca-Cola/colonization): The aggressive introduction or pervasive influence of American consumerism on other cultures.
- cosplay (costume + play): Dressing up in costumes that resemble characters from popular culture.
- craptacular (crap/spectacular): Entertainment that is so poor in quality it captivating.
- crunk (crazy/drunk): Out of control after consuming alcohol.
- cyborg (cybernetic/organism): A human or fictional entity whose physiological functioning is enhanced by mechanical elements.
- docusoap (documentary/soap opera): A hybrid drama that follows the lives of real people over a given period of time.
- dumbfound (dumb/confound): Greatly astonish or amaze.
- ebonics (ebony/phonics): A distinct form of English that is spoken by people of African descent.
- edutainment (education/entertainment): Games or other forms of entertainment that have an educational aspect.
- electrocution (electricity/execution): Death by electricity.
- emoticon (emotion/icon): The use of keyboard characters to represent a facial expression.
- evailable (electronic/available): To be available online via an electronic method such as email.
- faction (fact + fiction): A story, speech or novel that contains historical and real-life facts combined with invented information.
- fanzine (fan/magazine): A magazine that is targeted at fans of a specific genre.
- feminazi (feminist/Nazi): An extreme feminist.
- flare (flame/glare): A sudden brief burst of bright flame or light.
- flexitarian (vegetarian/flexible): A vegetarian who occasionally eats meat.
- frankenfood (Frankenstein/food): Genetically modified food.
- frenemy (friend/enemy): Someone who is supposed to be a friend but whose actions are more characteristic of a foe.
- gaydar (gay/radar): The ability to identify whether a person is homosexual based on an observation of their appearance and/or behavior.
- geocaching (geography + caching): A modern-day treasure hunt in which participants use a GPS to hide and seek containers.
- ginormous (giant/enormous): Large, huge.
- glamping (glamour/camping): Luxury camping.
- glitz (glamour/Ritz): Extravagant yet superficial.
- guesstimate (guess + estimate): To estimate without solid facts or figures.
- infomercial (information/commercial): A television program that promotes a product in an informative and supposedly objective way.
- infotainment (information + entertainment): Forms of popular media that blend information and entertainment together. Similar to edutainment (education + entertainment).
- interrobang (interrogative/bang): A combination of a question mark and an exclamation point.
- irregardless (irrespective/regardless).
- internet (international/network): A global system of interconnected computer networks. You can access our proofreading service via the Internet.
- shero (she/hero): A woman admired or idealized for her courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.
- jackalope (jackrabbit/antelope): An antlered species of rabbit (mythical).
- knowledgebase (knowledge/database): Intellectual capital that is stored in a central area. Similar to wisdombase (wisdom/database).
- liger (lion/tiger): A crossbreed between a lion and a tiger.
- malware (malicious/software): Computer programs that are designed to damage or disable computer systems.
- mansplaining (man/explaining): Explaining something to a woman in a condescending manner.
- manwich (man/sandwich): A sandwich made from any of the ingredients that are available in the fridge.
- McMansion (McDonalds/mansion): A blandly generic large house.
- meld (melt/weld): Blend/combine.
- metrosexual (metropolitan/heterosexual): A man who appears to be inordinately concerned about personal aesthetics and/or is perceived for this quality as being homosexual.
- mockumentary (mock/documentary): A genre of film and television in which fictitious events are presented in documentary-style manner.
- modem (modulation/demodulation): An electronic device that makes possible the transmission of data to or from a computer via telephone or other communication lines.
- motel (motor/hotel): Overnight accommodation designed for motorists.
- motorcade (motor/cavalcade): A procession of motor vehicles.
- murse (man/purse): A man’s purse.
- netizen (internet + citizen): An individual who is heavily involved with online activities.
- Nintendinitis (Nintendo/tendonitis): A condition caused by playing too many video games.
- Oxbridge (Oxford/Cambridge): An inclusive term that is used to describe both Oxford and Cambridge universities.
- pregnesia: (pregnancy/amnesia): The loss of your short-term memory as a result of pregnancy.
- ridonkulous (ridiculous/donkey): The epitome of ridiculous.
- rockabilly (rock’n’roll/hill-billy): A type of popular music, originating in the southeastern US in the 1950s, combining elements of rock and roll and country music.
- skort (skirt/shorts): A pair of shorts that resemble a skirt.
- screenager (screen/teenager): The typical adolescent who indulges excessively in screen entertainment.
- scuzz (scum/fuzz): Something that is regarded as disgusting.
- shemale (she/male/female): A man disguised as a women.
- shopaholic (shop/alcoholic): An individual who is addicted to shopping and buying products.
- smog (smoke + fog): A form of air pollution that has the qualities of both smoke and fog.
- Spanglish (Spanish/English): A hybrid language that combines English and Spanish.
- spork (spoon/fork): A hybrid form of cutlery.
- stagflation (stagnation/inflation): Persistent high inflation and unemployment accompanied by stagnant demand.
- telethon (television/marathon): A very long television program.
- televangelist (television/evangelist): An evangelist who regularly appears on television.
- three-peat (three/repeat): A third consecutive victory.
- tomacco (tomato/tobacco): A hybrid created by grafting a tomato plant onto the roots of a tobacco plant.
- turducken (turkey/duck/chicken): A dish consisting of a de-boned chicken stuffed into a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed into a de-boned turkey.
- vidiot (video/idiot): A habitual, undiscriminating watcher of television or videotapes.
- workaholic (work/alcoholic): An individual who works excessive hours.
Can you think of any examples of portmanteau? Leave a comment and share them with our readers.
100 Portmanteau Examples of Creative Combined Words
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portmanteau words in suitcase
SOURCE
miakievy / DigitalVision Vectors / Getty Images
Portmanteau, pronounced “port-man-tow,” refers to a new word made from two words and their meanings.
For example, the portmanteau brunch refers to a combined meal of breakfast and lunch, and spork is a mix between a spoon and a fork. Keep reading for 100 more examples of creative combined words, perfect for the 21st century.
Examples of Portmanteaus
The original meaning of portmanteau means “suitcase” in French, implying that two words are packed inside. Writers use portmanteaus (or portmanteaux) to make their word choice more interesting. Portmanteaus show that a writer’s creativity infuses the very words they use.
Many nonsense portmanteaus were created by authors such as James Joyce, Charles Dickens, and Lewis Carroll. However, other portmanteaus have made their way into our everyday speech and reading, like popular Spanglish words. Check out these examples of portmanteaus from entertainment, news, technology, and more.
Entertainment Portmanteau Examples
Lots of entertainment buzzwords are actually portmanteaus. They abbreviate concepts for movies, television, and music to make them more appealing to an audience.
Here are some portmanteau words that you may have read in an entertainment magazine:
- Bollywood (Bombay + Hollywood) - the Indian film industry
- brony (bro/brother + My Little Pony) - male fandom of the My Little Pony series
- biopic (biography + picture) - biographical movie about a real person’s life
- cosplay (costume + roleplay) - hobby in which people (roleplayers) dress up and act as fictional characters offstage
- dramedy (drama + comedy) - a story that has both dramatic and comedic elements
- edutainment (education + entertainment) - entertainment meant to inform its viewers
- infomercial (information + commercial) - advertisement that relays information
- listicle (list + article) - article that features a list of items
- mockumentary (mock + documentary) - a fictional story in the style of a documentary movie
- newscast (news + broadcast) - television or radio show about current events
- Pokémon (pocket + monsters) - popular Japanese animation about fictional creatures that battle each other
- prequel (previous + sequel) - sequel to a film or book that occurs earlier in the fictional timeline than its predecessor
- romcom (romance + comedy) - a comedy story that has elements of a romance
- sitcom (situation + comedy) - narrative comedy story based on a specific situation
- telethon (television + marathon) - continuous televised fundraiser
In addition to the portmanteaus above, you’ll see many examples in celebrity couple names.
Brangelina (Brad Pitt and Angelina Joe), Kimye (Kim Kardashian and Kanye West), and J-Rod (Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez) are all portmanteaus!
Newsworthy Portmanteaus
The news media is another area that creates a lot of portmanteaus. It makes their content readable and engaging for an audience. Here are a few popular portmanteaus that you may see while skimming a news article or broadcast:
- affluenza (affluent + influenza) - belief that a person’s wealthy status causes lack of motivation and empathy
- botox (botulism + toxin) - dermatological procedure that injects a strain of botulism into the skin to prevent and treat wrinkles
- Brexit (Britain + exit) - the 2016 referendum for Britain to leave the European Union
- Ebonics (ebony + phonics) - term to describe a common dialect in the American black community
- Juneteenth (June + nineteenth) - Freedom Day in the black community that commemorates the emancipation of the last American slaves and the official end of slavery
- Medicare (medical + care) - a government-funded healthcare plan for specific citizens
- Movember (Mo + November) - an awareness month where me grow facial hair to raise money for men's health organizations
- Obamacare (Barack Obama + healthcare) - popular term for the Affordable Healthcare Act passed during the Obama presidency)
- Reaganomics (Ronald Reagan + economics) - “trickle-down” economic policy in the Reagan presidency)
- smog (smoke + fog) - polluted air
- stagflation (stagnation + inflation) - a continuous period of high inflation and unemployment
Another popular portmanteau in the news comes from the Nixon administration.
You may notice that any political scandal is often coupled with the word gate (e.g., pizzagate, Russiagate, Monicagate, Weinergate). The media often creates a portmanteau with the word Watergate from the infamous Watergate hotel break-in to imply that a particular event is scandalous.
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pormanteau smog is smoke plus fog
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steinphoto / E+ / Getty Images
Classic Portmanteau Examples
Many portmanteaus are hiding in the dictionary as regular words! Take a look at the list below to learn which words you may not have known are actually portmanteaus.
- ampersand (and + per se + and) - & symbol that means “and”
- dumbfounded (dumb + confounded) - surprised into silence
- electrocute (electricity + execute) - to kill with electricity
- flare (flair + glare) - a burst of light
- fortnight (fourteen + night) - period of fourteen nights, or two week
- gerrymander (Elbridge Gerry + salamander) - redistricting an area to include favorable voters for a politician or party (named for Governor Elbridge Gerry who started the practice in 1812, and the salamander-shaped district he created in Massachusetts)
- motel (motor + hotel) - lodging designed for motorists
- shepherd (sheep + herder) - person who minds a flock of sheep
- splatter (splash + spatter) - wet messy marks
- squander (scatter + wander) - to spend one’s time or money frivolously
- stash (store + cache) - hidden collection of valuables
- taxicab (taximeter + cabriolet) - automobile that transports paying customers to their destinations
- Velcro (velvet + crochet) - brand of fabric adhesives
If you go back far enough into any word’s etymology, you’ll find any number of portmanteaus that helped create it. English is a fascinating language in that way!
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motel portmanteau is motor and hotel
SOURCE
Seb Oliver / Cultura / Getty Images
Technology Portmanteau Examples
The technological world is infamous for its nicknames, acronyms, and abbreviations. But most technological shorthand is actually made of portmanteaus! See how many of these technological words you already knew.
- adware (advertising + software) - online advertisements that generate revenue
- animatronics (animation + electronics) - mechanical puppets
- bionic (biology + electronic) - mechanical body parts
- bit (binary + digit) - basic unit of digital information
- blog (web + log) - online journal or diary (vlog is the term for “video log”)
- breathalyzer (breath + analyzer) - tool for analyzing someone’s alcohol consumption by scanning their breath
- cyborg (cybernetic + organism) - robotic human or animal
- email (electronic + mail) - electronic method of communication
- emoticon (emotion + icon) - typed symbols that appear to show faces (e.
g., :) ) before the introduction of emoji
- imagineer (imagine + engineer) - an engineer who works on creative projects
- intercom (internal + communication) - loudspeaker system that sends audio messages to selected people
- malware (malicious + software) - software designed to cause damage to a computer or network
- modem (modulator + demodulator) - device that transmits data from one computer to another
- netiquette (network + etiquette) - proper online behavior and manners
- pixel (picture + element) - an individual photographic element of a televised or computerized image
- podcast (iPod + broadcast) - an audio talk show that was first available on iPods
- webinar (web + seminar) - meeting or lesson available on the Internet
The late 20th-century trend of adding the prefix e- to anything electronic is one of the earlier uses of technological portmanteaus. The same answer goes for the prefix web- and the suffix -log, both of which have a strong presence in our vocabulary today.
Food Portmanteau Examples
Some of your favorite new foods may actually be portmanteaus. Words like froyo and frappuccino are embedded in our modern culinary lexicon – and they’re delicious, too! Other common food portmanteaus include:
- cronut (croissant + doughnut) - flaky iced pastry
- frappuccino (frappé + cappuccino) - iced coffee drink
- froyo (frozen + yogurt) - frozen treat made of yogurt
- gastropub (gastronomy + pub/public house) - pub or bar that serves food
- grapple (grape + apple) - hybrid of a grape and an apple
- mocktail (mock + cocktail) - cocktail without alcohol
- popsicle (pop + icicle) - frozen treat made of juice
- pluot (plum + apricot) - hybrid stone fruit, also known as plumcot or aprium
- Silk (soy + milk) - line of soy milk products
- Spam (spiced + ham) - canned meat product
- tofurky (tofu + turkey) - tofu food product flavored to taste like turkey
Several crops have been crossbred to create new foods. Pluots are just one example of two fruits that come together for a new purpose. Who knows what the future holds for your other favorite foods?
Animal Portmanteau Examples
Crossbreeding occurs in the animal world as well. It occurs in domesticated animals, captive animals, and even in the wild. Check out these portmanteaus derived from brand-new animal breeds.
Dog Breed Portmanteaus
Crossbred dogs, also known as designer breeds, are popular because of their desirable characteristics. Many of these dog breeds end in -doodle or -poo, indicating that the dog has been crossbred with a poodle. Poodles are popular dogs for crossbreeding because of their hypoallergenic fur.
Examples of dog breed portmanteaus include:
- Aussiedoodle - offspring of an Australian Shepherd and a Poodle
- Chug - offspring of a Chihuahua and a Pug
- Cockapoo - offspring of a Cocker Spaniel and a Poodle
- Horgi - offspring of a Husky and a Corgi
- Labradoodle - offspring of a Labrador and a Poodle
- Maltipoo - offspring of a Maltese and a Poodle
- Pitsky - offspring of a Pit Bull and a Husky
- Puggle - offspring off a Pug and a Beagle
Other Animal Portmanteaus
Dogs aren’t the only animals with new names! Here are more examples of animals that have been crossbred in captivity or in the wild, and their portmanteau names:
- Beefalo - offspring of a buffalo and a cow, also known as Cattalo
- Cama - offspring of a camel and a llama
- Coywolf - offspring of a coyote and a wolf
- Geep - offspring of a goat and a sheep
- Grolar Bear - offspring of a grizzly bear and a polar bear
- Liger - offspring of a lion and a tiger, also known as a Tigion
- Wallaroo - offspring of a wallaby and a kangaroo
- Wholphin - offspring of a false killer whale and a dolphin
- Zonkey - offspring of a zebra and a donkey
Many of these animals are sterile, meaning they cannot reproduce with another animal. They are also very rare and almost always found in captivity.
Conversational Portmanteaus
Have you ever heard a new slang word that sounded like two words mixed together? Now you know that it probably was! Read these popular portmanteaus that might crop up in your everyday conversations:
- athleisure (athletic + leisure) - comfortable sports attire meant for leisure
- brainiac (brain + maniac) - a very smart person
- bromance (bro/brother + romance) - close friendship between two males
- chillax (chill + relax) - admonition to tell someone to calm down
- fauxhawk (faux and mohawk) - hairstyle that is styled to look like a mohawk
- frenemy (friend + enemy) - friends who don’t always get along, or enemies who don’t always fight with each other
- ginormous (gigantic/giant + enormous) - very large
- glamping (glamorous + camping) - camping with luxurious settings and supplies
- guesstimate (guess + estimate) - an estimate made without enough information or data
- hangry (hungry + angry) - the feeling you get when your hunger affects your emotions
- jeggings (jeans + leggings) - leggings that look like denim jeans
- mansplain (man + explain) - term for when a man oversimplifies an obvious fact, usually to a woman
- sheeple (sheep + people) - derogatory term for those who are perceived to follow orders and avoid critical thinking
- snark (snide + remark) - a sarcastic or dry comment
- staycation (stay + vacation) - a vacation in one’s own town
- threepeat (three + repeat) - a three-time repeat of an event, usually a championship
- twerk (twist + jerk) - dance move that involves jerking your bottom half at something
Another common portmanteau you might find is alcoholic + something addictive (e. g., workaholic, shopaholic, chocoholic, rageaholic). It’s so commonly used that many people believe that -holic is a suffix for “addiction.” However, it’s just a conversational portmanteau that has taken on the last part of alcohol in many forms.
Portmanteau Origin
Like many helpful and delightful words, portmanteau comes from literature. It first appeared in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass in a quote from Humpty Dumpty:
“Well, ‘slithy’ means ‘lithe and slimy’ and ‘mimsy’ is ‘flimsy and miserable’. You see it’s like a portmanteau—there are two meanings packed up into one word.”
A master of word use and creative word choice, Carroll created an entirely new genre of etymology in one quote. Portmanteau itself is even a portmanteau! It’s French for “suitcase,” and combines the words porter, which means “to carry,” and manteau, which means “cloak.”
Portmanteau vs.
It’s tempting to say that portmanteaus are just like compound words, but they’re not. Compound words like firefighter and ladybug also use two words to make a new word. However, in a portmanteau, one or both of the words is shortened in a clever way.
Add Some Wordplay to Your Writing
Portmanteau words are a great way to add creativity to your writing with wordplay. Audiences love clever word choice in writing, and it doesn’t get more clever than creating your own words. For more wordplay ideas, take a look at an article that provides examples of malapropisms.
20 words that even literate people spell wrong
January 30, 2021 Education
A new portion of literacy with life hacks that will help you remember all the difficult cases.
1. Offhand
Wrong: offhand.
So it incites to divide the word into two parts, but this is a mistake. It answers the question "How?" and is an adverb, therefore it is written together. But it is easier to remember by synonyms that cannot be written separately: approximately, arbitrarily.
2. Subscription
Wrong: subscription.
For some reason here and there they offer to buy a "subscription". Indeed, the ill-fated “and” is heard in the word. There is no way to check the spelling, because the lexeme is a dictionary one. But you can remember if you pick up a paronym-rhyme with the letter "e" - the subscriber. In both cases, the letter "and" is not the place.
3. Next
Wrong: next.
The difficulty arises because the letter "u" is not heard in oral speech. To avoid making a mistake, just silently say to yourself: “I follow th means next th .
4. Future
Wrong: future.
By the same principle as above, it is easy to remember the spelling of this word: "I will be - hence the future."
5. Cardinal
Wrong: cardinal, cardinal.
Whatever variants of this word the Internet has seen, even with a double “o” at the beginning. But once and for all remember how it is spelled, the "Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language" by Max Fasmer will help. "Cardinal" comes from the Latin word cardinalis, which means "principal". The letter "a" is written in both cases.
6. Boycott
Wrong: boycott.
The letter “o” in this word is not perceived by ear, hence all the problems. You can understand why it is still written differently from its origin. We borrowed the word from the English language, which it entered thanks to the Irish estate manager Charles Boycott (Charles Cunningham Boycott). He was too demanding, and in 1880 the land tenants refused to pay him, declaring a boycott. The man received an unflattering fame, and we - the letter "o" in this word.
7. Grand Prix
Wrong: Grand Prix, Grand Prix, Grand Prix.
For those who know French, the hyphen may seem superfluous here. And even the unnecessary "d" strives to get in the way. Because in the original it looks like this: grand prix. But in this case, the borrowed word has two roots: -Gran- and -at- . In a foreign language, each of them can exist independently; in the Russian Grand Prix, it is a compound word. Because it is composed of two roots, and a hyphen is necessary between them.
8. Linoleum
Wrong: lenolium, linoleum, linoleum.
Poor flooring has been suffering from writing, it seems, since its inception. Unfortunately, there is no way to check the spelling. But let's turn to the original composition of linoleum, it lies in the name itself. From the Latin linum is translated as "flax", and oleum - "oil". By combining these two words, we get the only correct spelling.
9. Low visibility
Incorrect: hardly noticeable.
I really want to break the word into two parts, and this is even understandable: there are two roots here - -small- and -notice-. But then the question arises where the letter “o” came from. Everything is very simple: it is an interfix and just connects two roots, making the word complex. Therefore, we will write it together, like other compound adjectives.
10. Quintessence
Wrong: quintessence, quintessence.
Sometimes you really want to show off your knowledge and use a smart word, but it's easy to get the opposite effect in writing. However, as soon as we break the lexeme into two parts, everything falls into place. From Latin quinta essentia is translated as "fifth essence". The word "essence" is also probably familiar to you, and the "e" at the beginning is perfectly heard. Only now the doubled “s” will have to be remembered, there is no way to check it.
11. Periphery
Wrong: periphery.
Russian prefix re- is asking to appear in this word, but in fact -periphery- is the root. The history of its occurrence will help us not to make a mistake. The word comes from the Greek periphereia - circle, where per i means "around".
12. History
Wrong: history.
There is a simple rule in Russian. If the prefix ends with a consonant, and the word begins with "i", then "s" is placed between them. An example in which this is clearly heard is "under s skat”, but “by and skat”.
13. Manager
Wrong: manager.
And again, the insidious letter "u" is lost during pronunciation. But we find it in the same easy way as above: "I will start and - then I will start and sch."
14. Cholesterol
Wrong: cholesterol.
As with most words that are not native to our language, there are difficulties with it. Cholesterol is a special fatty substance found in bile. The origin of the word is Greek, and chol e just means "bile". In Russian, -hole- is one of the roots.
15. Incident
Wrong: incident.
This Russified foreign word is entirely the root. It is vocabulary and must be memorized. But etymology comes to our rescue again. The word comes from the Latin inc i dentis - happening. In both cases, we write "and".
16. Ingredient
Wrong: ingredient, ingredient.
A complex borrowed dictionary word that is also a whole root. With an "e" at the beginning, errors are rare, but they do occur. The main difficulty lies in the middle. To write correctly, we turn again to the Latin language. Ingredi means "to enter". Therefore, an ingredient is a component of something, that is, a part of it.
17. Cacophony
Wrong: cacophony.
You have experienced this phenomenon many times when a neighbor's child was learning to play the piano or someone was doing renovations nearby. But not many people know how to write a word correctly. To remember why “a” is written, the Greek language will help us. It contains the word kakos, translated as bad, bad. In principle, it is true - the pleasant sounds of kakos will not be called.
18. Canape
Wrong: canape.
This French word - canapé - means not only a small sandwich, but also a wide chair or sofa. How furniture became small sandwiches - history is silent. But it is known that a mistake is often made in the word.
19. Excessive
Wrong: excessive.
The extra letter "e" suggests itself, because we are used to seeing the word "through" as a preposition. It is more common, and the meaning is the same. But in this case through - is a prefix. It existed in the Old Slavonic language and looked like "through". Since then, the word "excessive" has been spelled that way, and this must be remembered.
20. Extreme
Wrong: extreme.
Many are misled by the word "extreme", which uses "and". Remember how to spell a tricky adjective, ice cream will help us. If you remember, there is such a horn - Extr e me. Remembering it, you definitely will not make a mistake.
Read also 🧐
- 44 words that we use incorrectly
- Rapid test: find words that do not contain mistakes!
- 40 borrowings in Russian that infuriate readers of Lifehacker
Complex sentence in Russian - types, types, examples
Today we will analyze a topic that is relevant for many 9th grade students. Namely: what sentences in Russian are called complex, what groups they are divided into and how to find them in the text.
What is a compound sentence
| A compound sentence is a sentence that consists of two or more grammatical bases. |
An example of a complex sentence:
According to the connection between the parts, complex sentences are divided into two types - allied (compound and complex) and non-union. In the first case, the parts are connected by unions and allied words, in the second - by meaning.
In total, there are 3 types of complex sentences. Let's look at them in a table.
Demo lesson in Russian
Take the test at the introductory lesson and find out what topics separate you from the "five" in Russian.
Compound sentence
| A compound sentence (CSP) is a complex sentence that has two or more independent simple sentences in its composition. This means that they can be broken with a dot, while the meaning is not lost. |
Parts of such complex sentences are connected by conjunctions and allied words: connecting (and, yes, also, etc.) , adversative (but, but, etc.) , divisive (or , then ... then, not that ... not that, etc.) or combinations thereof.
Examples:
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I wanted a pie, and the apples are already ripe.
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I wanted a pie, but the apples weren't ripe yet.
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Either mother will bake pies, or grandmother will come with buns.
Sometimes parts of compound sentences are connected without a coordinating union and a union word - in meaning. Such proposals are called non-union.
Example:
Punctuation marks in compound sentences
In sentences with conjunctions and, yes, however, either, etc. it is customary to put a comma. Except when:
Exception
If the parts of a complex sentence have a common minor member or subordinate clause, but they are connected by a repeating union, a comma must be used.
Example:
In non-union compound sentences, parts are divided not only by commas, but also by dashes, colons and semicolons. We discussed this topic in detail in the article on compound sentences.
Complex sentence
| Complex sentence (CSP) is a type of complex sentence, in which one simple sentence is subordinate to another in meaning and intonation. In this case, the dependent clause is called the subordinate clause, and the independent clause is called the main clause. |
An example of a complex sentence:
Types of connection in a complex sentence
Usually parts of NGN in Russian are connected with each other by subordinating conjunctions, for example: punctuation, but a subordinating conjunction can still be inserted between them. Such proposals are called non-union.
Example:
Values of subordinate clauses in NGN
Compound clauses are divided into groups, and then into subgroups according to the meaning and type of connection with the main one.
You can read more about the differences between clauses in a complex sentence with examples in this article.
Types of subordination in a complex sentence
Sometimes in a complex sentence there are not one, but two or more subordinate clauses. This type of complex sentences is called polynomial. They have different types of submission.
We have already discussed this topic in more detail in the article on complex sentences.
Punctuation marks in complex sentences
It is customary to put a comma between the main and subordinate parts of a complex sentence. If one part is in the middle of the other, it must be separated with a comma on both sides:
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When we returned to the city, all the sorrows were left behind.
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Now that we have returned to the city, all the sorrows are left behind.
If sentences with the words only, only, still and, above all, precisely, obviously, are probably connected by a compound union, it is divided. Then, before the word what you need to put a comma:
If we highlight indicative or conditional clauses with intonation and put them before the main clause, a dash is placed between them:
If it is clear from the main clause that the clause will explain it, you need to put a colon. The same rule applies to non-union complex sentences:
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Check yourself
Determine what type of compound sentence these examples belong to: complex or compound?
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Mother had already cooked for the morning and went to bed when I returned from the theater.
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I knew it couldn't go on too long.
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Snowflakes lay lightly on the palm of your hand, and the world around froze in snow-white splendor.
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I went to the edge of the forest an hour later, but the travelers were gone.
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I quickly found the place where the cuckoos were nesting.
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