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'Manxome' is a word invented by Lewis Carroll which he used to describe the monstrous Jabberwock in his poem Jabberwocky,but it is one for which he never gave a definition.

He took his vorpal sword in hand:

Long time the manxome foe he sought --

So rested he by the Tumtum tree,

And stood awhile in thought.

As such, we as readers have to define the word and choose a meaning for ourselves.

According to Dr Bill Long, the word is a portmanteau of the words 'manly' and 'buxom' and means 'fearsome' (See related link)

However, there is no evidence that this was Carroll's intention when he invented the word and as it does not follow the usual rules of portmanteau, this seems unlikely to be accurate.

In other portmanteau words, the new word carries the combined meaning of the words of which it is composed, for example 'mimsy' means 'miserable' and 'flimsy' and those are the words which comprise it. But, as the old uses of the word 'buxom' were 'vivacious' and 'compliant', it does not seem possible that when combined with the word 'manly' this would create the meaning 'fearsome'.

It is more likely that 'manxome' is not a portmanteau of 'manly' and 'buxom' at all and is one of the words in Jabberwockywhich lacks a definitive meaning.

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13y ago

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Related Questions

What part of speech is manxome?

"Manxome" is not a standard English word or recognized part of speech. It appears to be a nonce word coined by Lewis Carroll in his poem "Jabberwocky" to evoke a sense of unfamiliarity or otherworldliness. In linguistic terms, it could be classified as a lexical innovation or a blend of "man" and "fearsome" to create a unique adjective.


Is manxome a noun?

The only reference that I can find for 'manxome' is in the poem 'Jaberwocky' by Lewis Carroll. A word that is likely made up by Carroll. Some believe that it refers to 'fearsome Manx people, people of the Isle of Man. In the poem, the word manxome is used as a noun. "He took his vorpal sword in hand: Long time the manxome foe he sought-"


How can you use the term Manxome in a sentence?

A word created by Lewis Carroll in "Jabberwocky" (Through the Looking Glass, 1872), it has no precise definition. Some suggest it means "fearsome" as in "manx-like".


How do you pronounce 'manxome'?

"Manxome" is pronounced as "man-zuhm."


What part of speech is the word manxome?

"Manxome" is a word invented by Lewis Carroll meaning "fearsome" and would therefore be an adjective.


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What tree was in Lewis Carroll's famous nonsense poem The Jabberwocky?

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Can you say someone is a jabberwocky?

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