## [Portmanteau words](/favourite-articles/portmanteau-words) ## Avertissement Ce contenu est offert en anglais seulement. Barbara McClintock (*Language Update*, Volume 7, Number 3, 2010, page 25) Portmanteau words (*mots-valises*)—words formed from blended words—are ubiquitous these days. Here are a few of them. ## adulescent Immortalized by the film *Tanguy*, a 2001 French black comedy, the word *adulescent* is a contraction of *adult* and *adolescent*. In this film, the parents of an adulescent with *Peter Pan syndrome* plot schemes to push him out of the nest. The French *adulescent(e)* is one of the 150 or so new words accepted in the 2010 *Petit Larousse*.[Footnote 1](#fn1) ## chimerica Bread, cash, dough, lucre: money matters. The symbiosis of the economies of China and the United States, which dominate the world economy, was first referred to as *chimerica* in Niall Ferguson’s 2008 book *The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World*. The author asks whether the “economic interdependence of China and America” is “the key to global financial stability.” ## clunkernomics *Clunkernomics* is formed from *clunker* and *economics*. A French equivalent could be *politique “prime à la casse.”* *Cash for clunkers* is the name of a U.S. economic policy that pays a rebate for buying a more energy-efficient car in exchange for an old gas guzzler (a charming translation is *belle américaine*). The equivalent Canadian program, *Retire Your Ride*, is called *Adieu bazou* in French.[Footnote 2](#fn2)*Clunkernomics* is used to refer to the use of rebate programs to stimulate the economy. ## geocaching A sophisticated type of treasure hunt that is growing in popularity, *geocaching* is composed of *geo* for geography and *caching*, the process of hiding a cache, a term used for both the computer field and hiking/camping.[Footnote 3](#fn3) A *geocacher* can place a *geocache*, or treasure, anywhere in the world, pinpoint its location using a GPS device and announce the game online. *TERMIUM Plus®* gives *géocachette* or *chasse au trésor GPS* as French equivalents. ## hypermiling/ecoDriving *Hypermiling* (*écoconduite* or *conduite écologique*)[Footnote 4](#fn4) refers to environmentally friendly driving techniques to maximize fuel efficiency. Techniques include doing regular tune-ups, checking tire pressure and braking less frequently. In 2008, the word *hypermiling* was selected as the word of the year by the *New Oxford American Dictionary*.[Footnote 5](#fn5) Many people, including California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, prefer the term *ecoDriving*, with a trendy capital “D” instead of a hyphen.[Footnote 6](#fn6) ## malvertising According to Michael Quinion, *malvertising*, formed from *malicious* and *advertising*, refers to an online scam. A typical example is an ad that offers a free antivirus scan. *Malvertising* is a type of *malware* or malicious software, which is sometimes installed on your computer when you open an email attachment.[Footnote 7](#fn7) ## smollen *Smollen* is a portmanteau word for the double whammy of smog and pollen. “They’re now using the term *smollen* to describe those who feel sick not just from pollen allergies, but also air pollution that is traditionally linked to respiratory or cardiovascular problems.”[Footnote 8](#fn8) ## sousveillance The term *sousveillance*, invented by Steve Mann, a professor at the University of Toronto,[Footnote 9](#fn9) is derived from the French word *sous*, meaning below, rather than *sur*, above. When Montréal police made an appeal for camera phone photos or videos of looters after the Canadiens hockey team won a game in the spring, they were counting on members of the public to assist them with *sousveillance*. ## weisure[Footnote 10](#fn10) I can imagine Elmer Fudd saying, “Welcome to the weisure lifestyle!” Unfortunately, there is a need for this word because work is increasingly encroaching on our free time. Hotels in vacation areas even offer Internet access in rooms because, after spending the day at the beach, you might want to read your emails. American sociologist Dalton Conley coined *weisure* as a name for the phenomenon—a portmanteau of *work* and *leisure*.[Footnote 11](#fn11) It remains to be seen whether all of these new words will catch on. ## Sources ## Footnotes Footnote 1[Mots nouveaux du dictionnaire 2010, adulescent](http://www.linternaute.com/actualite/societe-france/dossier/les-mots-nouveaux-du-dictionnaire-en-2010/adulescent.shtml). [Return to footnote 1 referrer](#fn1-rf) Footnote 2[Retire Your Ride](http://www.ec.gc.ca/education/default.asp?lang=En&n=343C9FDB-1). [Return to footnote 2 referrer](#fn2-rf) Footnote 3[Geocaching](http://www.geocaching.com/faq/). [Return to footnote 3 referrer](#fn3-rf) Footnote 4[Le grand dictionnaire](http://www.gdt.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca/). [Return to footnote 4 referrer](#fn4-rf) Footnote 5[Hypermiling](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypermiling). [Return to footnote 5 referrer](#fn5-rf) Footnote 6[Be an EcoDriver](http://www.autoalliance.org/). [Return to footnote 6 referrer](#fn6-rf) Footnote 7[Malvertising](http://www.worldwidewords.org/turnsofphrase/tp-mal1.htm). [Return to footnote 7 referrer](#fn7-rf) Footnote 8[Smog, pollen mix worsens allergy symptoms](http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2006/05/02/pollen-smog060502.html). [Return to footnote 8 referrer](#fn8-rf) Footnote 9[The age of sousveillance](http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2005/jul/14/comment.comment). [Return to footnote 9 referrer](#fn9-rf) Footnote 10[Welcome to the ‘weisure’ lifestyle](http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/worklife/05/11/weisure/). [Return to footnote 10 referrer](#fn10-rf) Footnote 11[This column will change your life](http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jun/06/weisure-work-play-burkeman). [Return to footnote 11 referrer](#fn11-rf) ## Avis de droit d’auteur pour l’outil Favourite Articles © Sa Majesté le Roi du chef du Canada, représenté par le ou la ministre des Services publics et de l’Approvisionnement Un outil créé et mis en ligne par le Bureau de la traduction, Services publics et Approvisionnement Canada ## Rechercher par thèmes connexes Vous voulez en apprendre davantage sur un thème abordé dans cette page? Cliquez sur un lien ci-dessous pour voir toutes les pages du Portail linguistique du Canada portant sur le thème choisi. 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