He's making a quiz, and checking it twice... Test your knowledge of the words of the year. It comes from Old Norse, a.k.a. There were many names for the sea in Old English poetry. A non-Germanic analogue is the Homeric epithet—e.g., “rosy-fingered dawn.” See also skaldic poetry. -ring giver gold giver 1 See answer Answers roietemillena Ambitious; Wealthy person, or a generous person 4.2 22 votes 22 votes Rate! So basically it's two words to create an adjective in place of a noun. A kenning is a literary device in which a poetic phrase substitutes for a noun. Here are examples: sky-candle (the sun) swan-road (the sea) stout-hearted (brave) battle sweat (blood) light-of-battle (sword) helmet bearers (warriors) Swanrad, the swan-road, as the context makes clear, is a kenning for the sea, much like the better known hronrad, the whale-road (Beowulf 10). Updates? kenning up to a new level of sophistication.6 The type of phrase that resulted, to be called a \compound kenning", might be described as a \kenning within a kenning". “Kenning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kenning. Anything could be described using a kenning. For instance, if I say "My love is a rose," and I asked you what color it is, you would probably say "Red." Kennings are metaphoric terms used in place of nouns. swan-road(the sea) stout-hearted(brave) battle sweat(blood) light-of-battle(sword) helmet bearers(warriors) giver of gold(king) earth-hall(burial mound, barrow) dwelling place(home) When we translate these kennings from Anglo-Saxon, they lose some of their poetic quality. As a result, a kenning is a good device for an epic poem such as Beowulf, which is all about being larger than life. Omissions? Match the kenning to the correct meaning. What made you want to look up kenning? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible). Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... …of this poetry are the kenning, a figurative name for a thing, usually expressed in a compound noun (e.g.. …use of periphrastic metaphors called kennings. All the neighboring peoples across … A kenning is commonly a simple stock compound such as “whale-path” or “swan road” for “sea,” “God’s beacon” for “sun,” or “ring-giver” for “king.”. Kennings are a compound expression in Old English and Old Norse poetry with metaphorical meaning. For example the sea in Old English could be called seġl-rād 'sail-road', swan-rād 'swan-road', bæþ-weġ 'bath-way' or hwæl-weġ 'whale-way'. Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. A non-Germanic analogue is the Homeric epithet —e.g., “rosy-fingered dawn.”. Battle-sark = armor. Listed below are some modern kennings. Many kennings are allusions that become unintelligible to later generations. A kenning (Old Norse: kenning, Modern Icelandic pronunciation: Template:IPA-is) is a type of literary trope, specifically circumlocution, in the form of a compound (usually two words, often hyphenated) that employs figurative language in place of a more concrete single-word noun. The sea was also called the swan road and the whale road in Old English poetry. For example, if \ship" was a \horse of the sea" and the sea was the \whale-road", then a ship became a \horse of the whale-road". In line 10 of the epic Beowulf, the sea is called the hronrāde or 'whale-road'. Kenning: Translated: Meaning: geardagum: Year's days (Literally the days of past years) days gone by: weorðmyndum: mind's worth: honour: fyrenðearfe: fire need: comfort: hron-rād: whale-road: the sea: seġl-rād: sail road: the sea: hwæl-weġ: whale's way: the sea: swan-rād: swan-road: the sea: heofon-candel: sky-candle: the sun: heofones ġim: sky's jewel: the sun Beowulf is a veritable kenning buffet. Example = swan-road (kenning) Adhere to poetic formatting (see Beowulf in your textbook for example) 15-20 lines in length 3 examples of alliteration 2 examples of a kenning Presentations of your boast will be conducted on Friday, September 2nd. “ring-giver” as a term for king) or a possessive (e.g. Matching game, word search puzzle, and hangman also available. ... Swan-road Whale-road Battle Storm of swords Queen Peace-bringer among nations noun (2) Definition of kenning (Entry 2 of 2) : a metaphorical compound word or phrase (such as swan-road for ocean) used especially in Old English and Old Norse poetry. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. : a perceptible but small amount. Kenning is a term in poetry which can be found at Wikipedia.org, or the word kenning in certain contexts may be the simple expansion of the word 'ken', meaning within ones grasp or reason. possessive kenning. Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words? kenning (n.1) "periphrastic expression in early Germanic poetry" (such as swan-road for "sea," sky-candle for "sun"), 1871, a modern learned word from Old Norse kenning in a special sense "poetical periphrasis or descriptive name" (it also meant "teaching, doctrine; preaching; mark of recognition"), from kenna "to know, to recognize, to feel or perceive; to call, to name (in a formal poetic metaphor)," from … Accessed 24 Dec. 2020. “swan’s road” as a term for sea). Middle English, sight, view, from gerund of kennen. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. 'All Intensive Purposes' or 'All Intents and Purposes'? In the best kennings, one element of the phrase will create a striking, unexpected comparison. Police= Law Enforcer Books= Parallel worlds Poptarts= frosted cardboard Rainbows: rain paint How do you create a kenning? A final example of a kenning, which I found on the Internet, refers to the secret language called runes. Some examples? Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Rate! Instead of blood, we get battle - sweat. Kenning, concise compound or figurative phrase replacing a common noun, especially in Old Germanic, Old Norse, and Old English poetry. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Learn a new word every day. Kenning--a picturesque metaphoric compound in Old English that stands for a simple noun. In Beowulf, one of the most famous examples of a kenning is "whale-road." Examples: Kenning Primary Meaning Allusion Source Slaughter-dew Blood Norse Tree … In Beowulf you find many kennings for king, including: Ring-giver; Treasure-giver Start studying Beowulf Kennings and Epithets. the sea. Heaven's candle. What does it mean when it says that Beowulf "unlocked his word hoard"? kenning. A kenning can be almost like a puzzle or riddle, because its purpose is to show the item in an unusual way. the Almighty. Have you ever wondered about these lines? Label the examples of alliteration and kenning in parentheses right after the example you create. Post the Definition of kenning to Facebook, Share the Definition of kenning on Twitter. whale-road (plural whale-roads) (obsolete, poetic) The sea, the ocean.1907, John Gibb, on Beowulf, published in The Children's Hour, volume 4, page 3: […] and his name was called Scyld.He grew to man's estate, and became a mighty king, and subdued the peoples under him. ... the first letter of right what is the answer Language is the vehicle through which we create our understanding the world meaning. What is the meaning of these kennings ? A woman is a peace-weaver , a traveller is an earth-walker , a sword is a wolf of wounds , the sun is a sky candle , the sky is the curtain of the gods , blood is battle sweat or battle icicle . The term is a derivative of the Old Norse kenna, “to perceive,” “to know,” or “to name.”. open kenning. Kennings in Beowulf. Basically, it's when two nouns combine to create another noun. Apparently one kenning per symbolic item wasn't enough. Kennings are strongly associated with Old Norse and later Icelandic and Anglo-Saxon poetry. the language of the Vikings. Many (not all) kennings end with “er”/“or” although this is not a requirement. A kenning (Modern Icelandic pronunciation: [cʰɛnːiŋk]) is a figure of speech in the type of circumlocution, a compound that employs figurative language in place of a more concrete single-word noun.Kennings are strongly associated with Old Norse-Icelandic and Old English poetry. ... prepositional kenning. They are common in Old Norse, Icelandic, and Old English (Anglo-Saxon) poetry, and usually use either a hyphen (e.g. Here are some examples: swan-road (the sea) helmet bearers (warriors) battle sweat (blood) giver of gold (king) light of battle (sword) earth-hall (burial mound) Another way to think of the definition is this: a kenning is a metaphor which describes everyday objects in colorful language and is made up of compound words or the union of two separate words. Other examples of kennings in the text of Beowulf are: “whale-road” describing the sea; “swan-road” also describing the sea; and “hall-troops,” referring to Danes and the Geats. And the sea is referred to as the sail-road, swan road, whale's way, and whale-road. What is the meaning of the Kenning Swan Road? Here is a list of Anglo-Saxon Kennings: Anything could be described using a kenning. 'Nip it in the butt' or 'Nip it in the bud'. Build a city of skyscrapers—one synonym at a time. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Comitatus "bro-code" pay allegiance to a leader to get something worthwhile in return. Swans may be water fowl, but they are not seabirds. What is the "swan's road"? Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for kenning, Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about kenning. These phrases, …poetic vocabulary employed periphrases, or kennings, of such complexity that the poetry resembles riddles: the phrase. A kenning also allows the scop some variety, so words don’t become overused. A seal bath, fish home, swan road or whale way. Many kennings are allusions that become unintelligible to later generations. What is a kenning? : a metaphorical compound word or phrase (such as swan-road for ocean) used especially in Old English and Old Norse poetry First Known Use of kenning Noun (1) ... A symbol is a metaphor that is come to have a specific meaning across a culture. See the separate page List of names of Odin for more Odin kennings: N: Odin: Hanged god: Odin hung on the Tree of Knowledge for nine days in order to gain wisdom. See also skaldic poetry. The poet uses the kenning sail-road for sea because it was like a road that ships would sail on. English [] Etymology []. Delivered to your inbox! The kenning derives from the story in which all plants and creatures swore never to … Corrections? A kenning is commonly a simple stock compound such as “whale-path” or “swan road” for “sea,” “God’s beacon” for “sun,” or “ring-giver” for “king.”. But there's something odd about it. Flashcards for studying any subject. From whale +‎ road, after Old English hranrād.. Noun []. : a metaphorical compound word or phrase (such as swan-road for ocean) used especially in Old English and Old Norse poetry merriam-webster.com Example sentences for Kenning Finally, Anglo-Saxon poetry depended heavily on alliteration, and some kennings provided additional alliteration. 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