MEANING
A compact metaphorical compound or phrase that names something through an indirect image, especially in early Germanic verse.
Use it for
A poet or critic needs the term for a compressed, image-based compound used in place of a noun.Names a specific poetic device for replacing an ordinary noun with a compact indirect image.
On the page
In the Old English poem, “whale-road” is a kenning for the sea.
Word forms
- Base
- kenning
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