Now with local functions especially, but you could always do it by passing a delegate that makes the anonymous type.
So if your goal was to run different logic on the same sources, and be able to combine the results into a single list. Not sure what nuance this is missing to meet the stated goal, but as long as you return a T and pass a delegate to make T, you can return an anonymous type from a function.
// returning an anonymous type
// look mom no casting
void LookMyChildReturnsAnAnonICanConsume()
{
// if C# had first class functions you could do
// var anonyFunc = (name:string,id:int) => new {Name=name,Id=id};
var items = new[] { new { Item1 = "hello", Item2 = 3 } };
var itemsProjection =items.Select(x => SomeLogic(x.Item1, x.Item2, (y, i) => new { Word = y, Count = i} ));
// same projection = same type
var otherSourceProjection = SomeOtherSource((y,i) => new {Word=y,Count=i});
var q =
from anony1 in itemsProjection
join anony2 in otherSourceProjection
on anony1.Word equals anony2.Word
select new {anony1.Word,Source1Count=anony1.Count,Source2Count=anony2.Count};
var togetherForever = itemsProjection.Concat(otherSourceProjection).ToList();
}
T SomeLogic<T>(string item1, int item2, Func<string,int,T> f){
return f(item1,item2);
}
IEnumerable<T> SomeOtherSource<T>(Func<string,int,T> f){
var dbValues = new []{Tuple.Create("hello",1), Tuple.Create("bye",2)};
foreach(var x in dbValues)
yield return f(x.Item1,x.Item2);
}