A portmanteau (pronounced /pɔrtmænˈtoʊ/ (
listen)), plural portmanteaux, is type of bag commonly found in England and other parts of Europe, and was extremely popular in the 19th century for travel.
The word portmanteau, is of French origin, deriving from porter (to carry, of Latin origin) and the Middle French manteau (a coat or cover), equivalent to the English mantle. The word traces back to the mid 16th century in English in which it was used in its arcane form, portemantew, to describe a bag or carrying case for clothing. At the end of the 16th century, it was first used in France, as 'porte-manteau,' to label the human carrier of clothing. By the 17th century, its original meaning was extended to any case or container of a mix of items.[1]
Versions of portmanteau are commonly on sale in the present age.
Lewis Carroll, by applying a form of metaphor, invented the notion of a portmanteau word (meaning a linguistic blend), in his book Through the Looking Glass.
In Australia, the contraction "Port" has been used since the 18th century, but is gradually disappearing from common usage.
In Queensland and Northern New South Wales, "School Ports" was a term used for school bags into the 1980s. The term 'port' is rarely used in the south now, but it is still in use in north Queensland schools. And children still put their bags onto "Port Racks".
References
- ^ Oxford English Dictionary
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