ken|ning

“dark”

30 fragments across 21 traditions carry this sense. 23 of them open a name against 7 that close one, so this reads as a sense that leads.

Across the traditions

Reverse entry

They are spread across 6 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 3.

D&D


Tabletop

Mor initial · Sable initial · nera final

  • Morgrim

    Mor dark + grim mask

    dark mask

  • Morveth

    Mor dark + veth sworn

    dark sworn

  • Morhart

    Mor dark + hart stag

    dark stag

  • Sablerowan

    Sable dark + rowan rowan tree

    dark rowan tree

  • Sablesil

    Sable dark + sil moon

    dark moon

  • Sablebelle

    Sable dark + belle beauty

    dark beauty

  • Jesnera

    Jes gift + nera dark

    gift dark

  • Evanera

    Eva living + nera dark

    living dark

  • Fyrnera

    Fyr fire + nera dark

    fire dark

Demon


Creatures

ul final · ula final

  • Thezrul

    Thezr silence + ul dark

    silence of the dark

  • Dagrul

    Dagr debt + ul dark

    debt of the dark

  • Dhozul

    Dhoz dust + ul dark

    dust of the dark

  • Heskula

    Hesk smoke + ula dark

    smoke of the dark

  • Ghalula

    Ghal gall + ula dark

    gall of the dark

  • Zurnula

    Zurn coal + ula dark

    coal of the dark

Drow


Fantasy races

Szar initial · Xalz initial

  • Szararnyth

    Szar dark + arnyth sentry

    dark sentry

  • Szaryssar

    Szar dark + yssar obedient

    dark obedient

  • Szaruszen

    Szar dark + uszen silent

    dark silent

  • Xalzobryth

    Xalz dark + obryth patient

    dark patient

  • Xalzithra

    Xalz dark + ithra hidden

    dark hidden

  • Xalzarvyth

    Xalz dark + arvyth huntress

    dark huntress

Dwarf


Fantasy races

Mor initial · Morna initial

  • Morvald

    Mor dark + vald power

    dark power

  • Morhal

    Mor dark + hal hall

    dark hall

  • Morfast

    Mor dark + fast firm

    dark firm

  • Mornavor

    Morna dark + vor careful

    dark careful

  • Mornasaga

    Morna dark + saga tale

    dark tale

  • Mornanott

    Morna dark + nott night

    dark night

Roman


Real world

fusca final · Fusc initial

  • Asinia Fusca

    Asinia donkey + fusca dark

    donkey, dark

  • Servilia Fusca

    Servilia keeping + fusca dark

    keeping, dark

  • Rutilia Fusca

    Rutilia reddish + fusca dark

    reddish, dark

  • Fuscius

    Fusc dark + ius kinsman

    the dark kinsman

  • Fuscellus

    Fusc dark + ellus tiny one

    the dark tiny one

  • Fuscosus

    Fusc dark + osus full one

    the dark full one

Scottish


Real world

duff final · Dorch initial

  • Camduff

    Cam crooked + duff dark

    crooked dark

  • Somerduff

    Somer summer + duff dark

    summer dark

  • Morduff

    Mor great + duff dark

    great dark

  • Dorchlia

    Dorch dark + lia grey

    dark grey

  • Dorchgill

    Dorch dark + gill ravine

    dark ravine

  • Dorchock

    Dorch dark + ock little

    dark little

Vampire


Creatures

Tem initial · Temna initial

  • Temwehr

    Tem dark + wehr defence

    dark-defence

  • Temfels

    Tem dark + fels cliff

    dark-cliff

  • Temfeld

    Tem dark + feld field

    dark-field

  • Temnadol

    Temna dark + dol valley

    dark-valley

  • Temnain

    Temna dark + in of

    dark-of

  • Temnaberg

    Temna dark + berg mountain

    dark-mountain

Wizard


People

Mel initial · Mela initial

  • Melvex

    Mel dark + vex turning

    dark turning

  • Melgorn

    Mel dark + gorn watcher

    dark watcher

  • Melquil

    Mel dark + quil quill

    dark quill

  • Melavine

    Mela dark + vine bond

    dark bond

  • Melaelle

    Mela dark + elle little

    dark little

  • Melaine

    Mela dark + ine little

    dark little

Alien


Creatures

Nokh initial

  • Nokhchaan

    Nokh dark + chaan reach

    dark reach

  • Nokhvaath

    Nokh dark + vaath warren

    dark warren

  • Nokhmarn

    Nokh dark + marn flats

    dark flats

Bard


Tabletop

Nera initial

  • Neracielle

    Nera dark + cielle sky

    dark sky

  • Nerarane

    Nera dark + rane raven

    dark raven

  • Neravelle

    Nera dark + velle wish

    dark wish

City


Objects

Black initial

  • Blackburgh

    Black dark + burgh fortified town

    dark fortified town

  • Blackstead

    Black dark + stead place

    dark place

  • Blackwell

    Black dark + well spring

    dark spring

Dragon


Creatures

Tenebrix initial

  • Tenebrixulath

    Tenebrix dark + ulath shadow

    dark shadow

  • Tenebrixnyros

    Tenebrix dark + nyros dusk

    dark dusk

  • Tenebrixthelor

    Tenebrix dark + thelor lord

    dark lord

Druid


Tabletop

gorm final

  • Bryngorm

    Bryn hill + gorm dark

    hill dark

  • Bodgorm

    Bod dwelling + gorm dark

    dwelling dark

  • Uiskgorm

    Uisk water + gorm dark

    water dark

Greek


Real world

Kar initial

  • Karopoulos

    Kar dark + opoulos son of

    son of dark

  • Karoglou

    Kar dark + oglou son of

    son of dark

  • Karaki

    Kar dark + aki small one

    small one dark

Irish


Real world

Ciar initial

  • Ciarboy

    Ciar dark + boy yellow

    dark yellow

  • Ciarloch

    Ciar dark + loch lake

    dark lake

  • Ciarkeen

    Ciar dark + keen smooth

    dark smooth

Kingdom


Objects

Mor initial

  • Morfell

    Mor dark + fell mountain

    dark mountain

  • Mormire

    Mor dark + mire bog

    dark bog

  • Morheath

    Mor dark + heath heathland

    dark heathland

Black initial

  • Blacklow

    Black dark + low burial mound

    dark burial mound

  • Blackthwaite

    Black dark + thwaite cleared ground

    dark cleared ground

  • Blackstone

    Black dark + stone standing rock

    dark standing rock

Necromancer


Tabletop

Nyxa initial

  • Nyxacara

    Nyxa dark + cara dear

    dark dear

  • Nyxanubra

    Nyxa dark + nubra overcast

    dark overcast

  • Nyxanocte

    Nyxa dark + nocte midnight

    dark midnight

Troll


Creatures

Gorm initial

  • Gormbelg

    Gorm dark + belg belly

    dark belly

  • Gormhamm

    Gorm dark + hamm hammer

    dark hammer

  • Gormvast

    Gorm dark + vast bulk

    dark bulk

Viking


Real world

Myrk initial

  • Myrkkjol

    Myrk dark + kjol keel

    dark keel

  • Myrkox

    Myrk dark + ox axe

    dark axe

  • Myrkknif

    Myrk dark + knif knife

    dark knife

Welsh


Real world

ddu final

  • Henddu

    Hen old + ddu dark

    old dark

  • Glasddu

    Glas blue-green + ddu dark

    blue-green dark

  • Nefddu

    Nef heaven + ddu dark

    heaven dark

Senses that travel together

See also

Each of these shares at least two traditions with “dark”. 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.

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