Vol. 10 · Portmanteaus ·Mid-century: TV and science ·1957
Chunnel
Channel tunnel
- Meaning
- The railway tunnel between England and France under the English Channel.
- Source words
- Channel + tunnel
- Coined by
- unknown (British press)
- Year
- 1957
Background
Coined in British newspapers during the first serious Channel-tunnel planning. The tunnel itself only opened in 1994; the word waited 37 years for its referent. Officially just "the Channel Tunnel" in both countries.
Mid-century: TV and science
Two engines dominated: television (sitcom, televangelist) and post-war big science (pulsar, transistor). Many mid-century coinages came from scientific style sheets and industry journals.
Two words, one coinage.
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