Synonymal Blend

Instead of using one word to describe something, I blur the two. Synonymal Blend is a term I came up to explain this unconscious blending of two synonyms. I'm not sure if there is an actual word that exists to explain this - I couldn't find one...

Synonym (noun)

1. A word having the same or nearly the same meaning as another word or other words in a language.

Blend (verb)

1. To combine or mix so that the constituent parts are indistinguishable from one another

Synonymal describes a words synonymous quality with another word. Blend is the process of combining two elements to make a new, fully merged outcome.

Synonymal Blend (adjective) therefore describes the process of mixing two existing words that have similar meanings to create a new word. This sometimes happens as a slip of the tongue and/or mind, and can be intentional - where chillout and relax become “chillax”, or accidental - when scratch and itch become “stritch”.

In my own creative practice I am less likely to use the actual term synonymal blend, but rather could look at ways of combining synonyms to describe aspects of my work in new ways, using new words. Examples; drawing and sketching could become “skrawing”, or doing an illustration using embroidery could become “peneedling”.

Other examples... please add your own synonymal blends

Frantic + Energy = Frenergy

Jazz + Dancing = Jancing

Hiccup + Cough = Hiccough

http://thefreedictionary.com