I come from a background in linguistics, where my favorite subject is a linguistic practice of taking words apart to create new ones through a process of fusing them. The creation of a portmanteau by blending two words into one is an activity with which people entertain themselves and reveal a lot of information about the workings of the language. It teaches you more about linguistics than anything else in this field.
How new words are really born
Everyone thinks that neologisms are purposely created by authorities, yet the reality is that most neologisms come about through playful creation of language, which includes blending. One simply blends two known words together to express an idea that cannot be expressed by either one individually, and others catch on because it is both useful and enjoyable. This is the creation of language by the masses, not through authority but by individuals who take bits of what they know and combine them creatively.
What is most interesting about the process of blending is how it allows for the observation of creativity at work within the act of combining, instead of the process of inventing. Blended words have been constructed using only previously existing words, but they are still new, conveying a message that cannot be conveyed by the component words. Creativity has been condensed in this process because of the way in which the creator has taken what was there and combined it into something new.
The cognitive work of blending
Crafting an effective word combination is not easy as it seems to be, and it requires the use of some mental abilities. First of all, one should think about both words simultaneously, locate their sound and meaning where the combination can take place, and make sure whether it sounds right. It is a very complex activity, carried out on the level of language and creativity and, at times, not even consciously. Whatever mental processes take place here, they are used in serious creative activities.
The tools used in producing combinations have made the whole process fun and exciting, allowing people to try out many fusions before finding the right ones. A free portmanteau generator lets someone play with blending words and instantly see new combinations, which is both delightful and a genuine exercise in the creative combination that underlies far more than word play.
Play and linguistic creativity
The very fact that word blending is playful is precisely what makes it an excellent activity for creativity. The freedom with which people experiment with words when blending words gives them the freedom to detach themselves from the formal way language is used in formal writings, and in doing so, they discover the creative potential within language itself. They become freer with the language they use in their actual writing because of this.
Thatβs why I recommend playing with language just for the pure enjoyment of doing so without any ulterior motive. Language play helps recreate the innovative attitude towards language which is otherwise lost when one uses language seriously. Playing with language helps one stay innovative when it comes to language use, and innovation will apply wherever language is used. Blending, although minor, is a playful way of getting into the innovativeness that was inherent to language all along but has been shut off due to adulthood.
What blends reveal about meaning
The fact that words blend also tells us something deep about meaning itself. For when blending succeeds, it creates something greater than the mere addition of its elements and a meaning that was never intended by either of the words to begin with. This indicates that meaning is not a static process wherein the meanings of words are added together in order to make a new meaning, but is rather a creative one that generates novel ideas.
Embracing word play
In order for one to remain inventive with language, he should experiment with language, mix words, create new words, and thus rediscover the flexible nature of language. Even a quick session with FaddyAI.com playing with word blends can loosen the creative relationship with language that serious writing tends to tighten.
In its most modest form, the portmanteau, which simply merges two words into one, provides an insight into language creation, creativity by combination, and meaning emergence. Combinatory wordplay is both creative cognition and pure fun, and it restores our playful approach to language, an approach that is usually lost when we take language too seriously. Wordplay is an opportunity for fun, but also for practice in the very act of combining that lies behind all invention in the world.
The more I delve into language studies, the more amazed I become by the idea that such a simple concept as word blending is crucial for the rejuvenation of language. The common understanding of language implies that it is an immutable phenomenon consisting of rules and words meant to be followed correctly. However, language lives because people continuously interact with it and modify and create their own words. Word blend is one of the most vivid manifestations of that language life. Each blend is like a piece of language creation. By combining words and inventing new words, people prove their status as not only users but also creators of language. It seems there is no better way of joining the living process.