Innovation in Language Learning

This research paper examines the formation and implications of portmanteau words within the context of different communities, with a particular focus on everyday life interaction. Portmanteaus, defined as compound words that merge elements from two or more sources while retaining recognizable phonological traits, reflect the linguistic adaptation of these communities as they navigate a new linguistic landscape. The investigation highlights how these linguistic blends emerge as a response to the rapid cultural transition from minority to majority status, prompting interlocutors to use these expressions in new contexts. This research adopts a pragmatic framework to explore the creation and use of portmanteaus, stressing the criteria of adjacency, substitution, and non-collapsing to ensure effective communication. Furthermore, it discusses the linguistic theories underpinning word formation, illustrating how portmanteaus put in a nutshell the dynamism of language within the social context. By revising these existing expressions, the findings reveal a significant understanding of the processes of language change and cultural amalgamation, ensuring the role of portmanteaus as both linguistic novelties and replications of the complex relationship between identity, language, culture, and context.

 

Keywords: Portmanteau Words, Form, Function, Pragmatic Analysis, culture, Everyday Discourse, interaction.