Home › Glossary › Letter K

Kenning

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Compound metaphor from Old Norse/Old English poetry (e.g., "whale-road").

Detailed Definition
Kenning is a figurative compound expression from Old English and Norse poetry that renames something indirectly (e.g., “whale-road” for sea or “battle-sweat” for blood); it enriches diction through metaphorical compression and cultural allusion, epitomizing the riddling, allusive style of Anglo-Saxon verse like Beowulf.
Example
Example in poetry:
Kenning: A metaphorical compound phrase replacing a noun, common in Old English and Norse poetry; example: “whale-road” for “sea” in Beowulf: “He sailed the whale-road seeking glory.”
Additional Notes
Kenning: A compound metaphorical phrase used in Old English and Norse poetry (e.g., “whale-road” for sea); functions as a compressed metaphor; key feature of Germanic heroic verse.
Other Meanings of “Kenning”
Also Known As
Compound metaphor Norse kenning Two-word figure Circumlocution Epithet substitution
Skip to main content