Motel Is a Blend of Motor and Hotel
A motel is a roadside hotel with parking outside the rooms. The word was coined in 1925 for a single building in California.
A motel is a roadside hotel with rooms opening directly onto a car park. The word has a precise birthday: the Milestone Mo-Tel in San Luis Obispo, California, opened in 1925, and its architect coined the blend of *motor* and *hotel* for it. The design followed from the name — you park outside your room because the building was made for people arriving by car. It is a *portmanteau*, like *brunch* and *smog*.
- A roadside hotel. *A highway motel.*
- Motor hotel — the full phrase. *A motor hotel.*
- Portmanteau — the blend type. *A portmanteau word.*
- Motor court — an early alternative name. *A motor court.*
- Coined 1925 — in California. *Coined in 1925.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | motel | A cheap motel. |
| Plural | motels | Two motels. |
| Source | motor | Motor. |
| Source | hotel | Hotel. |
| Type | portmanteau | A portmanteau. |
- They stopped at a motel off the highway.Travel.
- The word was coined in 1925.History.
- Rooms open onto the car park.Design.
Portmanteau words
- Motel — motor plus hotel
- Brunch — breakfast plus lunch
- Smog — smoke plus fog
- Podcast — iPod plus broadcast
- The term itself was coined by Lewis Carroll
A blend of *motor* and *hotel*, coined in 1925 for the Milestone Mo-Tel in San Luis Obispo, California.
When was the word motel coined?
In 1925, for the Milestone Mo-Tel in San Luis Obispo, California, designed for travellers arriving by car.
What is a portmanteau word?
A word formed by blending parts of two others, such as brunch or smog. Lewis Carroll coined the term.