Kennings are strongly associated with Old Norse-Icelandic and Old English alliterative verse. They continued to be a feature of Icelandic poetry (including rímur) for centuries, together with …

A kenning is a figure of speech in which two words are combined in order to form a poetic expression that refers to a person or a thing. For example, "whale-road" is a kenning for the sea.

A kenning is a metaphorical compound word or phrase used to name or describe something. Think of it as a compressed metaphor, a poetic substitution for a concrete noun. It’s especially …

Dec 5, 2022 · The Anglo-Saxon and Old Norse traditions have a word for a compound expression with a metaphorical meaning: kenning. Simply put, in poetry, a kenning is when you take two …

kenning, concise compound or figurative phrase replacing a common noun, especially in Old Germanic, Old Norse, and Old English poetry. A kenning is commonly a simple stock …

The meaning of KENNING is a perceptible but small amount.

A figurative compound word that takes the place of an ordinary noun. Many kennings rely on myths or legends to make meaning and are found in Old Germanic, Norse, and English poetry, …

Jan 13, 2026 · kenning (plural kennings) (poetry) A metaphorical compound or phrase, used especially in Germanic poetry (Old English or Old Norse) whereby a simple thing is described …

A kenning is a characteristic rhetorical device of Old English poetry (and Old Norse). The typical kenning is a compound in which each element identifies an attribute through the figures of …

A kenning is a metaphorical compound phrase that replaces a single, concrete noun. A kenning employs figurative language to represent the simpler concept, such as using the phrase “battle …