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Kenning Lexicon

Kenning Lexicon

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Vol. II. Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: from c. 1035 to c. 1300 6. Technical Terms 2. Other Technical Terms

2. Other Technical Terms

Kari Ellen Gade 2009, ‘Other Technical Terms’ in Kari Ellen Gade (ed.), Poetry from the Kings’ Sagas 2: From c. 1035 to c. 1300. Skaldic Poetry of the Scandinavian Middle Ages 2. Turnhout: Brepols [check printed volume for citation].

apo koinou, construction in which the same element has a role in more than one cl.
base-word, member of a kenning (see above) that is modified by a qualifier, called the determinant
byrnie, a coat of mail
cliticise, to add an enclitic syllable to a word (see enclitic below)
desyllabification, syllabic liquids and nasals developing an excrescent vowel, in Icel. usually involving the addition of [u] before [r]
determinant, qualifier of a base-word in a kenning, consisting either of a noun or name in the genitive or of the first element of a compound
dip, a metrically unstressed syllable
dromon, a large Byzantine warship or merchantman
enclitic, monosyllabic word, usually a particle, verb or pron., added as a suffix to another word (see also cliticise and bragarmál above)
enclitic position, post-position (as opposed to proclitic position)
epenthesis (epenthetic, adj.), a sound, usually a vowel, inserted between two others (see excrescent)
excrescent, a sound, usually a vowel, inserted between two others (see epenthesis)
hypermetrical, a poetic l. containing more syllables (metrical positions) than is normal for the metre in question
hypometrical, a poetic l. containing fewer syllables (metrical positions) than is normal for the metre in question
in spe, expected
lectio difficilior, more difficult reading
lectio facilior, easier reading
lift, a metrically stressed syllable
litotes, understatement, in which an affirmative is expressed by negating its opposite
macrologia, a long sentence containing matter irrelevant to the subject at hand
metonymy, the substitution of a word referring to an attribute or adjunct for the whole thing that is meant
neutralisation, a metrical situation in which two short syllables occupy one unstressed metrical position in a l.
nomen agentis, ‘agent noun’, a noun derived from a verb, denoting a person who is carrying out the action implicit in the verb
paragoge, the lengthening of a word by the addition of a letter or syllable
pars pro toto, part for whole
pleonastic, syllable, word, or phrase that is superfluous
proclitic position, pre-position (as opposed to enclitic position)
referent, the unmentioned cognitive meaning value of a kenning, e.g. the referent of the kenning logi fjarðar ‘flame of the fjord’ is gold
resolution, two short syllables occupying one fully stressed metrical position in a l.
siglum (pl. sigla), abbreviation, usually a combination of alphanumerical symbols, used to designate a specific ms. and/or the collection in which it is found
solecism, soloecismus, grammatical irregularity, e.g. change of tense, pl. used in place of sg.
stanza, a group of poetic ll., arranged according to a regular scheme; one of a series of such groups, which together make up a poem
stemma (pl. stemmata), a diagram representing a reconstruction of the relationships between the surviving and postulated witnesses to a text
tmesis, the separation of a word or cpd into two parts, with another word or words between them

References

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