ken|ning

“bear”

33 fragments across 24 traditions carry this sense. 23 of them open a name against 10 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. Celtic 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.

Celtic


Real world

Matu initial · matus final · matua final · matuon final

  • Matuialos

    Matu bear + ialos clearing

    bear clearing

  • Matulanos

    Matu bear + lanos plain

    bear plain

  • Matuollos

    Matu bear + ollos utmost

    bear utmost

  • Rigomatus

    Rigo royal + matus bear

    royal bear

  • Mandomatus

    Mando pony + matus bear

    pony bear

  • Lanomatus

    Lano plain + matus bear

    plain bear

  • Tasgomatua

    Tasgo badger + matua bear

    badger bear

  • Teutomatua

    Teuto tribe + matua bear

    tribe bear

  • Ollomatua

    Ollo utmost + matua bear

    utmost bear

  • Glanomatuon

    Glano clear + matuon bear

    clear bear

  • Vernomatuon

    Verno alder + matuon bear

    alder bear

  • Tasgomatuon

    Tasgo badger + matuon bear

    badger bear

Barbarian


Tabletop

bern final · berna final

  • Gorrbern

    Gorr gored + bern bear

    gored the bear

  • Grimbern

    Grim bared teeth + bern bear

    bared teeth the bear

  • Rekkbern

    Rekk reached + bern bear

    reached the bear

  • Kremaberna

    Krema crushed + berna bear

    crushed the bear

  • Fannaberna

    Fanna caught + berna bear

    caught the bear

  • Rukkaberna

    Rukka tore + berna bear

    tore the bear

Dwarf


Fantasy races

Bera initial · Bjarn initial

  • Berathyr

    Bera bear + thyr shelter

    bear shelter

  • Beradotta

    Bera bear + dotta daughter

    bear daughter

  • Berastein

    Bera bear + stein stone

    bear stone

  • Bjarnspor

    Bjarn bear + spor track

    bear track

  • Bjarnskjal

    Bjarn bear + skjal shelter

    bear shelter

  • Bjarnyr

    Bjarn bear + yr bow

    bear bow

French


Real world

Ber initial · Bern initial

  • Berbault

    Ber bear + bault bold

    bear bold

  • Berbert

    Ber bear + bert bright

    bear bright

  • Berbrand

    Ber bear + brand sword

    bear sword

  • Bernel

    Bern bear + el little

    bear little

  • Bernrade

    Bern bear + rade counsel

    bear counsel

  • Bernault

    Bern bear + ault rule

    bear rule

German


Real world

Ber initial · bern final

  • Berold

    Ber bear + old ruler

    bear ruler

  • Berwart

    Ber bear + wart warden

    bear warden

  • Berbrun

    Ber bear + brun brown

    bear brown

  • Gundbern

    Gund war + bern bear

    war bear

  • Irmbern

    Irm great + bern bear

    great bear

  • Trudbern

    Trud strength + bern bear

    strength bear

Griffin


Creatures

bern final · berna final

  • Magnibern

    Magni great + bern bear

    great bear

  • Fortisbern

    Fortis brave + bern bear

    brave bear

  • Ventibern

    Venti wind + bern bear

    wind bear

  • Luciaberna

    Lucia light + berna bear

    light bear

  • Rostraberna

    Rostra beak + berna bear

    beak bear

  • Acriaberna

    Acria sharp + berna bear

    sharp bear

Knight


People

Ber initial · Bern initial

  • Berric

    Ber bear + ric ruler

    bear ruler

  • Berger

    Ber bear + ger spear

    bear spear

  • Beraud

    Ber bear + aud rule

    bear rule

  • Bernric

    Bern bear + ric ruler

    bear ruler

  • Bernfort

    Bern bear + fort strong

    bear strong

  • Bernold

    Bern bear + old rule

    bear rule

Band


Music

Arctic initial

  • Arctic Lanterns

    Arctic bear + lanterns torch bearers

    bear torch bearers

  • Arctic Moths

    Arctic bear + moths night's small wings

    bear night's small wings

  • Arctic Avalanches

    Arctic bear + avalanches descents

    bear descents

Cat


People

bern final

  • Brambern

    Bram bramble + bern bear

    bramble bear

  • Velvetbern

    Velvet shaggy pile + bern bear

    shaggy pile bear

  • Basilbern

    Basil royal herb + bern bear

    royal herb bear

Country


Objects

Urs initial

  • Ursgonia

    Urs bear + gonia territory

    bear territory

  • Ursavia

    Urs bear + avia territory

    bear territory

  • Ursitia

    Urs bear + itia region

    bear region

D&D


Tabletop

Ber initial

  • Berrun

    Ber bear + run secret

    bear secret

  • Bermar

    Ber bear + mar famous

    bear famous

  • Bergest

    Ber bear + gest guest

    bear guest

Dog


People

Urs initial

  • Urspatch

    Urs bear + patch small piece

    bear small piece

  • Ursie

    Urs bear + ie dear

    bear dear

  • Ursjay

    Urs bear + jay chattering bird

    bear chattering bird

Irish


Real world

Art initial

  • Artaun

    Art bear + aun little

    bear little

  • Artbar

    Art bear + bar head

    bear head

  • Artgus

    Art bear + gus vigour

    bear vigour

Japanese


Real world

Kuma initial

  • Kumakawa

    Kuma bear + kawa river

    bear river

  • Kumatsuka

    Kuma bear + tsuka mound

    bear mound

  • Kumada

    Kuma bear + da rice field

    bear rice field

Kraken


Creatures

Bjorn initial

  • Bjornbol

    Bjorn bear + bol lair

    bear lair

  • Bjornstod

    Bjorn bear + stod berth

    bear berth

  • Bjorngardr

    Bjorn bear + gardr yard

    bear yard

Nordic


Real world

Bjørn initial

  • Bjørn Karl

    Bjørn bear + karl free man

    bear and free man

  • Bjørn Peder

    Bjørn bear + peder the stone

    bear and the stone

  • Bjørn Niels

    Bjørn bear + niels victor of nations

    bear and victor of nations

Paladin


Tabletop

bern final

  • Servabern

    Serva service + bern bear

    service bear

  • Cordibern

    Cordi heart + bern bear

    heart bear

  • Candobern

    Cando shining + bern bear

    shining bear

Pirate


People

Bjorn initial

  • Bjorn the Red

    Bjorn bear + the red red

    bear, called the red

  • Bjorn the Sour

    Bjorn bear + the sour sour

    bear, called the sour

  • Bjorn Stormcrow

    Bjorn bear + stormcrow storm crow

    bear, called the storm crow

Scottish


Real world

Art initial

  • Artster

    Art bear + ster holding

    bear holding

  • Artbrae

    Art bear + brae hillside

    bear hillside

  • Artshaw

    Art bear + shaw copse

    bear copse

Ship


Objects

Arctic initial

  • Arctic Serpent

    Arctic bear + serpent creeping thing

    bear creeping thing

  • Arctic Horizon

    Arctic bear + horizon bounding circle

    bear bounding circle

  • Arctic Shield

    Arctic bear + shield raised cover

    bear raised cover

Vampire


Creatures

Ursa initial

  • Ursanocta

    Ursa bear + nocta night

    bear-night

  • Ursacorva

    Ursa bear + corva raven

    bear-raven

  • Ursaborna

    Ursa bear + borna battle

    bear-battle

Viking


Real world

Bjorn initial

  • Bjornfastr

    Bjorn bear + fastr firm

    bear firm

  • Bjornar

    Bjorn bear + ar warrior

    bear warrior

  • Bjorntryggr

    Bjorn bear + tryggr trusty

    bear trusty

Welsh


Real world

Arth initial

  • Arthlwyd

    Arth bear + lwyd hoary

    bear hoary

  • Arthdir

    Arth bear + dir ground

    bear ground

  • Arthig

    Arth bear + ig little

    bear little

Werewolf


Creatures

Bjorn initial

  • Bjornskald

    Bjorn bear + skald poet

    bear poet

  • Bjornrend

    Bjorn bear + rend tearing apart

    bear tearing apart

  • Bjornbite

    Bjorn bear + bite jaw snap

    bear jaw snap

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.