These are Michigan’s Most Odd Portmanteaus

A portmanteau is a word made up portions of two or more other words. Think of, say motel for motor hotel or brunch combining breakfast and lunch. These mash-up words are popular for naming places, particularly if the fall on a border.

Some of the largest and well known portmanteau places in America are locations like Texarkana, Texas/Arkansas or the twin towns of Calexico, California and Mexicali, Mexico.

In Michigan, just how portmanteau-y are we? Not that much but there are some if you dig.

On the state-wide level the area of Michigan that borders Indiana is given the nickname of Michiana. That name lends it self to a pair of communities where the state line meets Lake Michigan, Michiana, Michigan and Michiana Shores, Indiana.

The Indiana names lends itself to be portmanteaued. On the borders of Indiana in addition to Michiana, one can find regions named Kentuckyiana and Illiana. However, Michigan just doesn't lend itself to any other mash up names. There is no Wiscon-igan, Michiohio or Ontari-gan.

Beyond Michiana, there are, sadly, no other known portmanteau towns in the state. The best we can do in Michigan are portmanteaus based on county borders. Some are simply the names of roads while some have a slightly wider use. Consider these:

VanKal Avenue on the border of Kalamazoo and Van Buren counites. (Although that is only Kalamazoo county's name of the road - Van Buren calls it 22nd Street.)

Kenowa Avenue and Kenowa Hills School district where Kent and Ottawa counties meet.

Ottagan Avenue is the dividing road between Ottawa and Allegan counties.

There are portmanteau potentials around the state if we chose to indulge in them. Consider M-115 which connects the nearby cities of Clare and Farwell in Mid-Michigan, that road could certainly be Clarewell Avenue. US 10 running between Scottville and Ludington - Scottington, of course. How about M-28 in the Upper Peninsula between Munising and Marquette - Muniquette.

We can keep going. The growth of portmanteaus for Michigan places is limited only by the imagination of us Michiganders.