ken|ning

“bear”

26 fragments across 20 traditions carry this sense. 21 of them open a name against 5 that close one, so this reads as a sense that leads.

Across the traditions

Reverse entry

They are spread across 7 different families, from real world outward, which is the mark of a sense so basic that almost every tradition needs a word for it. No single tradition hoards it: the deepest, D&D, has 2.

D&D


Tabletop

Ber initial · Bear initial

  • Berthas

    Ber bear + thas oath

    bear oath

  • Berthorn

    Ber bear + thorn thorn

    bear thorn

  • Bermek

    Ber bear + mek hammer

    bear hammer

  • Bearspear

    Bear bear + spear spear

    bear spear

  • Bearmantle

    Bear bear + mantle mantle

    bear mantle

  • Bearhammer

    Bear bear + hammer hammer

    bear hammer

Dwarf


Fantasy races

Bera initial · Bjarn initial

  • Beramalm

    Bera bear + malm metal

    bear metal

  • Berasaga

    Bera bear + saga tale

    bear tale

  • Beraborg

    Bera bear + borg fortress

    bear fortress

  • Bjarnmid

    Bjarn bear + mid middle

    bear middle

  • Bjarntorn

    Bjarn bear + torn tower

    bear tower

  • Bjarnstein

    Bjarn bear + stein stone

    bear stone

French


Real world

Ber initial · Bern initial

  • Berbaud

    Ber bear + baud bold

    bear bold

  • Berbault

    Ber bear + bault bold

    bear bold

  • Berin

    Ber bear + in little

    bear little

  • Bernelin

    Bern bear + elin little

    bear little

  • Bernaume

    Bern bear + aume helmet

    bear helmet

  • Berninet

    Bern bear + inet little

    bear little

German


Real world

Ber initial · bern final

  • Bermund

    Ber bear + mund protection

    bear protection

  • Berrich

    Ber bear + rich ruler

    bear ruler

  • Bermann

    Ber bear + mann man

    bear man

  • Rambern

    Ram raven + bern bear

    raven bear

  • Manbern

    Man man + bern bear

    man bear

  • Wolfbern

    Wolf wolf + bern bear

    wolf bear

Griffin


Creatures

bern final · berna final

  • Castelbern

    Castel fortress + bern bear

    fortress bear

  • Celerbern

    Celer swift + bern bear

    swift bear

  • Rostrobern

    Rostro beak + bern bear

    beak bear

  • Ventiaberna

    Ventia wind + berna bear

    wind bear

  • Aquilaberna

    Aquila eagle + berna bear

    eagle bear

  • Pennaberna

    Penna feather + berna bear

    feather bear

Knight


People

Ber initial · Bern initial

  • Berulf

    Ber bear + ulf wolf

    bear wolf

  • Berbern

    Ber bear + bern bear

    bear bear

  • Berbald

    Ber bear + bald bold

    bear bold

  • Bernmer

    Bern bear + mer famous

    bear famous

  • Bernrod

    Bern bear + rod fame

    bear fame

  • Bernwig

    Bern bear + wig battle

    bear battle

Band


Music

Arctic initial

  • Arctic Cathedrals

    Arctic bear + cathedrals bishops' seats

    bear bishops' seats

  • Arctic Typewriters

    Arctic bear + typewriters typewriters

    bear typewriters

  • Arctic Sons

    Arctic bear + sons sons

    bear sons

Cat


People

bern final

  • Saltbern

    Salt salt + bern bear

    salt bear

  • Ashbern

    Ash fire dust + bern bear

    fire dust bear

  • Nutmegbern

    Nutmeg musky nut + bern bear

    musky nut bear

Country


Objects

Urs initial

  • Ursulia

    Urs bear + ulia land

    bear land

  • Ursana

    Urs bear + ana land

    bear land

  • Ursobia

    Urs bear + obia territory

    bear territory

Dog


People

Urs initial

  • Ursdoe

    Urs bear + doe deer

    bear deer

  • Urssky

    Urs bear + sky cloud

    bear cloud

  • Ursie

    Urs bear + ie dear

    bear dear

Irish


Real world

Art initial

  • Artgal

    Art bear + gal valour

    bear valour

  • Artroe

    Art bear + roe russet

    bear russet

  • Artall

    Art bear + all mighty

    bear mighty

Japanese


Real world

Kuma initial

  • Kumaue

    Kuma bear + ue above

    bear above

  • Kumabayashi

    Kuma bear + bayashi grove

    bear grove

  • Kumata

    Kuma bear + ta rice field

    bear rice field

Paladin


Tabletop

bern final

  • Magnibern

    Magni great + bern bear

    great bear

  • Gratibern

    Grati grace + bern bear

    grace bear

  • Verobern

    Vero true + bern bear

    true bear

Pirate


People

Bjorn initial

  • Bjorn Seabones

    Bjorn bear + seabones sea bones

    bear, called the sea bones

  • Bjorn the Younger

    Bjorn bear + the younger younger

    bear, called the younger

  • Bjorn Saltbeard

    Bjorn bear + saltbeard salt beard

    bear, called the salt beard

Scottish


Real world

Art initial

  • Artvald

    Art bear + vald ruler

    bear ruler

  • Artled

    Art bear + led traveller

    bear traveller

  • Artreoch

    Art bear + reoch brindled

    bear brindled

Ship


Objects

Arctic initial

  • Arctic Conqueror

    Arctic bear + conqueror conqueror

    bear conqueror

  • Arctic Sentinel

    Arctic bear + sentinel sentinel

    bear sentinel

  • Arctic Venture

    Arctic bear + venture venture

    bear venture

Vampire


Creatures

Ursa initial

  • Ursazimna

    Ursa bear + zimna cold

    bear-cold

  • Ursaseele

    Ursa bear + seele soul

    bear-soul

  • Ursalune

    Ursa bear + lune moon

    bear-moon

Viking


Real world

Bjorn initial

  • Bjornvald

    Bjorn bear + vald ruler

    bear ruler

  • Bjornvard

    Bjorn bear + vard guardian

    bear guardian

  • Bjornthor

    Bjorn bear + thor thunder

    bear thunder

Welsh


Real world

Arth initial

  • Arthgwm

    Arth bear + gwm hollow

    bear hollow

  • Arthwyn

    Arth bear + wyn white

    bear white

  • Arthfelin

    Arth bear + felin mill

    bear mill

Werewolf


Creatures

Bjorn initial

  • Bjornstride

    Bjorn bear + stride long step

    bear long step

  • Bjornhound

    Bjorn bear + hound hunting dog

    bear hunting dog

  • Bjornfang

    Bjorn bear + fang seizing tooth

    bear seizing tooth

Senses that travel together

See also

Each of these shares at least two traditions with “bear”. Senses that keep turning up in the same sets usually belong to one semantic field — the small vocabulary a naming tradition returns to again and again.

Corpus under CC BY 4.0 — every fragment above has a stable anchor, so you can cite one entry rather than the whole site.