ken|ning

“old”

22 fragments across 20 traditions carry this sense. 18 of them open a name against 4 that close one, so this reads as a sense that leads.

Across the traditions

Reverse entry

They are spread across 5 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, Dwarf, has 2.

Dwarf


Fantasy races

Ol initial · ald final

  • Olkarn

    Ol old + karn carver

    old carver

  • Olnok

    Ol old + nok notch

    old notch

  • Olund

    Ol old + und deep

    old deep

  • Fjalald

    Fjal mountain + ald old

    mountain old

  • Malmald

    Malm ore + ald old

    ore old

  • Gardald

    Gard yard + ald old

    yard old

Griffin


Creatures

ald final · alda final

  • Ferald

    Fer iron + ald old

    iron old

  • Montiald

    Monti mountain + ald old

    mountain old

  • Ungald

    Ung claw + ald old

    claw old

  • Petriaalda

    Petria crag + alda old

    crag old

  • Luciaalda

    Lucia light + alda old

    light old

  • Rostraalda

    Rostra beak + alda old

    beak old

Alien


Creatures

Praa initial

  • Praamarn

    Praa old + marn flats

    old flats

  • Praavunth

    Praa old + vunth holding

    old holding

  • Praakuun

    Praa old + kuun narrows

    old narrows

City


Objects

Old initial

  • Oldtoft

    Old old + toft homestead plot

    old homestead plot

  • Oldfen

    Old old + fen boggy ground

    old boggy ground

  • Oldwick

    Old old + wick dairy farm

    old dairy farm

Country


Objects

Vet initial

  • Vetea

    Vet old + ea country

    old country

  • Vetania

    Vet old + ania country

    old country

  • Vetlands

    Vet old + lands lands

    old lands

D&D


Tabletop

Ald initial

  • Aldven

    Ald old + ven blessing

    old blessing

  • Aldash

    Ald old + ash ash tree

    old ash tree

  • Aldrath

    Ald old + rath fury

    old fury

French


Real world

Vieux initial

  • Vieuxmarais

    Vieux old + marais marsh

    old marsh

  • Vieuxcroix

    Vieux old + croix cross

    old cross

  • Vieuxbourg

    Vieux old + bourg town

    old town

German


Real world

Alt initial

  • Altwald

    Alt old + wald forest

    old forest

  • Altbaum

    Alt old + baum tree

    old tree

  • Altmann

    Alt old + mann man

    old man

Giant


Creatures

Old initial

  • Oldsleep

    Old old + sleep sleep

    old sleep

  • Oldhelm

    Old old + helm helm

    old helm

  • Oldgirdle

    Old old + girdle girdle

    old girdle

Greek


Real world

Ger initial

  • Geropoulou

    Ger old + opoulou daughter of

    daughter of old

  • Gerakou

    Ger old + akou daughter of

    daughter of old

  • Geropoulos

    Ger old + opoulos son of

    son of old

Irish


Real world

Shan initial

  • Shancam

    Shan old + cam crooked

    old crooked

  • Shankeen

    Shan old + keen smooth

    old smooth

  • Shanan

    Shan old + an little

    old little

Japanese


Real world

Furu initial

  • Furudo

    Furu old + do door

    old door

  • Furuhara

    Furu old + hara plain

    old plain

  • Furuki

    Furu old + ki tree

    old tree

Kingdom


Objects

Alda initial

  • Aldamarch

    Alda old + march frontier

    old frontier

  • Aldagard

    Alda old + gard enclosure

    old enclosure

  • Aldavale

    Alda old + vale valley

    old valley

Orc


Fantasy races

ur final

  • Hrakur

    Hrak spit + ur old

    spit old

  • Kargur

    Karg harsh + ur old

    harsh old

  • Zaggur

    Zagg jagged + ur old

    jagged old

Planet


Objects

Vet initial

  • Vetmare

    Vet old + mare sea

    old sea

  • Vetella

    Vet old + ella small

    old small

  • Vetium

    Vet old + ium place

    old place

Scottish


Real world

Shan initial

  • Shanall

    Shan old + all mighty

    old mighty

  • Shanmore

    Shan old + more big

    old big

  • Shanshaw

    Shan old + shaw copse

    old copse

Tavern


Objects

The Old initial

  • The Old Stag

    The Old old + stag male animal

    old male animal

  • The Old Fox

    The Old old + fox bushy-tailed one

    old bushy-tailed one

  • The Old Hart

    The Old old + hart male deer

    old male deer

Vampire


Creatures

Alt initial

  • Altquelle

    Alt old + quelle spring

    old-spring

  • Altlac

    Alt old + lac lake

    old-lake

  • Althall

    Alt old + hall hall

    old-hall

Viking


Real world

Gaml initial

  • Gamlkapa

    Gaml old + kapa cape

    old cape

  • Gamlsegl

    Gaml old + segl sail

    old sail

  • Gamlhufa

    Gaml old + hufa cap

    old cap

Welsh


Real world

Hen initial

  • Henyn

    Hen old + yn little

    old little

  • Henryd

    Hen old + ryd crossing

    old crossing

  • Henig

    Hen old + ig little

    old little

Senses that travel together

See also

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