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kenning

 [ken-ing]   Origin

ken·ning

   [ken-ing]
noun
a conventional poetic phrase used for or in addition to the usual name of a person or thing, especially in Icelandic and Anglo-Saxon verse, as “a wave traveler” for “a boat.”
Origin:
1880–85; < Old Norse; see ken, -ing1

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Kenning is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged

ken

   [ken] noun, verb, kenned or kent, ken·ning.
noun
1.
knowledge, understanding, or cognizance; mental perception: an idea beyond one's ken.
2.
range of sight or vision.
verb (used with object)
3.
Chiefly Scot.
a.
to know, have knowledge of or about, or be acquainted with (a person or thing).
b.
to understand or perceive (an idea or situation).
4.
Scots Law. to acknowledge as heir; recognize by a judicial act.
5.
Archaic. to see; descry; recognize.
6.
British Dialect Archaic.
a.
to declare, acknowledge, or confess (something).
b.
to teach, direct, or guide (someone).
verb (used without object)
7.
British Dialect.
a.
to have knowledge of something.
b.
to understand.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English kennen to make known, see, know, Old English cennan to make known, declare; cognate with Old Norse kenna, German kennen; akin to can1

Can be confused: ken, kin, kith.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
kenning (ˈkɛnɪŋ)
 
—n
a conventional metaphoric name for something, esp in Old Norse and Old English poetry, such as Old English bānhūs (bone house) for "body"
 
[C14: from Old Norse, from kenna; see ken]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

ken
"house where thieves meet," 1567, vagabonds' slang, probably a shortening of kennel.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia

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 compound such as "whale-path" or "swan road" for "sea," "God's beacon" for "sun," or "ring-giver" for "king."

Learn more about kenning with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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