Explain the concept of blending.

Phonetics And Word Formation Questions Medium



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Explain the concept of blending.

Blending is a process in phonetics and word formation where two or more words are combined to create a new word. It involves taking parts of two or more words and merging them together to form a single word with a new meaning.

In blending, the initial part of one word is combined with the final part of another word, resulting in a new word that combines the meanings and sounds of the original words. This process often occurs when there is a need to create a new word to describe a new concept or object.

For example, the word "brunch" is a blend of "breakfast" and "lunch." Similarly, "smog" is a blend of "smoke" and "fog." In both cases, the blended words create a new word that represents a combination of the original words' meanings.

Blending is a common process in language evolution, as it allows for the creation of new words that efficiently convey new ideas or concepts. It is often used in informal language, such as slang or colloquial speech, but can also be found in more formal contexts.