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Kenning phrase

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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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

A periphrastic metaphorical construction, especially in Germanic poetry, naming something indirectly

Detailed Definition
Kenning phrase is a compressed metaphorical compound from Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon poetry that renames a common noun through indirect description—such as “whale-road” for sea or “battle-sweat” for blood; this ornamental device enriches diction, demonstrates poetic skill, and reflects a worldview where objects are defined by their relationships and functions.
Example
Example in poetry:
Kenning phrase uses compound metaphor: Old English “whale-road” for sea; Norse “battle-sweat” for blood; modern examples include Seamus Heaney’s “helmeted” for soldier in “North”; contemporary poets like A.E. Stallings use “wine-dark” as Homeric kenning; Sylvia Plath’s “vampire” as father-kenning in “Daddy.”
Additional Notes
Kenning phrases are metaphorical compounds from Old Norse/English poetry (e.g., “whale-road” = sea); function as compressed metaphors; require cultural knowledge to decode; related to metaphoric compound and hyphenated image
Also Known As
Periphrastic metaphor descriptive compound poetic circumlocution figurative epithet Kenning compound
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