ken|ning

“sword”

17 fragments across 11 traditions carry this sense. They split 6 to 11 between opening and closing a name, which means it sits comfortably at either end.

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. Viking carries the most, with 4 separate fragments for it — a tradition that needs this many words for one idea is telling you something about what it cares about.

Viking


Real world

Brand initial · Hjor initial · brandr final · sverd final

  • Brandgrim

    Brand sword + grim mask

    sword mask

  • Brandmund

    Brand sword + mund protection

    sword protection

  • Brandkell

    Brand sword + kell helmet

    sword helmet

  • Hjorar

    Hjor sword + ar warrior

    sword warrior

  • Hjorfast

    Hjor sword + fast firm

    sword firm

  • Hjorstein

    Hjor sword + stein stone

    sword stone

  • Geirbrandr

    Geir spear + brandr sword

    spear sword

  • Vigbrandr

    Vig battle + brandr sword

    battle sword

  • Alfbrandr

    Alf elf + brandr sword

    elf sword

  • Langsverd

    Lang long + sverd sword

    long sword

  • Issverd

    Is ice + sverd sword

    ice sword

  • Mjuksverd

    Mjuk soft + sverd sword

    soft sword

French


Real world

brand final · brant final

  • Rodbrand

    Rod glory + brand sword

    glory sword

  • Ansbrand

    Ans god + brand sword

    god sword

  • Yvbrand

    Yv yew + brand sword

    yew sword

  • Ambrant

    Am love + brant sword

    love sword

  • Lucbrant

    Luc light + brant sword

    light sword

  • Rombrant

    Rom of Rome + brant sword

    of Rome sword

Griffin


Creatures

brand final · branda final

  • Vigilbrand

    Vigil watchful + brand sword

    watchful sword

  • Cornubrand

    Cornu horn + brand sword

    horn sword

  • Vexbrand

    Vex banner + brand sword

    banner sword

  • Castellabranda

    Castella fortress + branda sword

    fortress sword

  • Valabranda

    Vala strength + branda sword

    strength sword

  • Montanabranda

    Montana mountain + branda sword

    mountain sword

Paladin


Tabletop

brand final · Gladi initial

  • Purobrand

    Puro pure + brand sword

    pure sword

  • Valebrand

    Vale strong + brand sword

    strong sword

  • Sanctibrand

    Sancti holy + brand sword

    holy sword

  • Gladilis

    Gladi sword + lis bound

    sword bound

  • Gladigild

    Gladi sword + gild company

    sword company

  • Gladiric

    Gladi sword + ric rule

    sword rule

Angel


Creatures

Sword initial

  • Swordshield

    Sword sword + shield shield

    sword shield

  • Swordweaver

    Sword sword + weaver weaver

    sword weaver

  • Swordwitness

    Sword sword + witness witness

    sword witness

D&D


Tabletop

brand final

  • Eldbrand

    Eld elder + brand sword

    elder sword

  • Dravbrand

    Drav blood + brand sword

    blood sword

  • Verbrand

    Ver green + brand sword

    green sword

Dragonborn


Fantasy races

Sarth initial

  • Sarthmokh

    Sarth sword + mokh weight

    sword weight

  • Sarthshen

    Sarth sword + shen young

    sword young

  • Sarthtesh

    Sarth sword + tesh swift

    sword swift

Dwarf


Fantasy races

hjor final

  • Broghjor

    Brog bulwark + hjor sword

    bulwark sword

  • Veghjor

    Veg road + hjor sword

    road sword

  • Koldhjor

    Kold cold + hjor sword

    cold sword

German


Real world

brand final

  • Dietbrand

    Diet people + brand sword

    people sword

  • Gottbrand

    Gott god + brand sword

    god sword

  • Heinbrand

    Hein home + brand sword

    home sword

Knight


People

brand final

  • Eberbrand

    Eber boar + brand sword

    boar sword

  • Brunbrand

    Brun brown + brand sword

    brown sword

  • Ansbrand

    Ans god + brand sword

    god sword

Welsh


Real world

Cled initial

  • Cledgwm

    Cled sword + gwm hollow

    sword hollow

  • Cledallt

    Cled sword + allt hillside

    sword hillside

  • Cledbren

    Cled sword + bren king

    sword king

Senses that travel together

See also

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