Scientificombination

Scientificombination was the neologism-loving Forry Ackerman's term for what Lewis Carroll dubbed a portmanteau word in Through The Looking Glass: "Well, 'slithy' means 'lithe and slimy.' 'Lithe' is the same word as 'active'. You see, it's like a portmanteau — there are two meanings packed into one word." Other such Carrollisms include chortle (a combination of chuckle and snort) and galumph (gallop and triumph).

In standard linguistic terms, this type of word is a blend.

However, the fannish version requires some repeating letter or sound gluing the words together, creating simplifyd spelng, the scientific in scientificombination.

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959

(Ackerman) The archetypal scientificombination was Gernsback's "Scientifiction", but under the influence of Ackerman many other combinations came into fannish use: pename, stfunnyarn, actifan; and in colloquial writing nonce-combinations may be made whenever the writer notices the proper recurrence of letter(s) on both sides of a space and it won't be confusing: the majority ofans, don't bla me, wothell, etc. It was formerly the practice to underline letters serving double duty, but this is now done only if it's necessary to make the meaning clear.

From Fancyclopedia 1, ca. 1944

(Ackerman) - The archetype scientificombination was Gernsback's "scientifiction", a running into ea/oth of "scientific" and "fiction". Under the influence of Ackerman, many other combinations are in common use, eg, pename, stfunnyarn, whathell, actifan; and in colloquial writing nonce-combinations are made whenever the writer notices the same letter/s is/are going to occur on both sides of a space, and it won't be too confusing: the majority ofans, Don't blame, in thend, &c. It was formerly the practice to underline the letters which served double duty, but this is now done only where it is necessary to keep the meaning clear.

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