ken|ning

“black”

42 fragments across 32 traditions carry this sense. 37 of them open a name against 5 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, Vampire, has 3.

Vampire


Creatures

Negru initial · Cerna initial · Cernov initial

  • Negrukeller

    Negru black + keller cellar

    black-cellar

  • Negrumir

    Negru black + mir world

    black-world

  • Negruhof

    Negru black + hof court

    black-court

  • Cernagrad

    Cerna black + grad city

    black-city

  • Cernahain

    Cerna black + hain grove

    black-grove

  • Cernathal

    Cerna black + thal dale

    black-dale

  • Cernovwald

    Cernov black + wald forest

    black forest

  • Cernovgrav

    Cernov black + grav count

    black count

  • Cernovstadt

    Cernov black + stadt town

    black town

Greek


Real world

Melano initial · Mavr initial

  • Melanopompos

    Melano black + pompos escort

    black escort

  • Melanokles

    Melano black + kles fame

    black fame

  • Melanoboulos

    Melano black + boulos counsel

    black counsel

  • Mavrakis

    Mavr black + akis little

    little black

  • Mavreas

    Mavr black + eas hailing from

    hailing from black

  • Mavroglou

    Mavr black + oglou son of

    son of black

Griffin


Creatures

Sabel initial · Sable initial

  • Sabelmann

    Sabel black + mann man

    black man

  • Sabelfalk

    Sabel black + falk falcon

    black falcon

  • Sabelleif

    Sabel black + leif heir

    black heir

  • Sable Wreathed

    Sable black + Wreathed garlanded

    black, garlanded

  • Sable Crined

    Sable black + Crined haired

    black, haired

  • Sable Naissant

    Sable black + Naissant issuing

    black, issuing

Irish


Real world

Duff initial · duv final

  • Duffreagh

    Duff black + reagh brindled

    black brindled

  • Dufflia

    Duff black + lia grey

    black grey

  • Duffeen

    Duff black + een little

    black little

  • Gortduv

    Gort tilled field + duv black

    tilled field black

  • Rathduv

    Rath ringfort + duv black

    ringfort black

  • Knockduv

    Knock hill + duv black

    hill black

Minotaur


Creatures

Melano initial · Melaina initial

  • Melanogaster

    Melano black + gaster belly

    black belly

  • Melanophylax

    Melano black + phylax guard

    black guard

  • Melanotauros

    Melano black + tauros bull

    black bull

  • Melainachaite

    Melaina black + chaite mane

    black mane

  • Melainagonia

    Melaina black + gonia corner

    black corner

  • Melainamelissa

    Melaina black + melissa bee

    black bee

Necromancer


Tabletop

Sable initial · Sabla initial

  • Sablethrall

    Sable black + thrall bondsman

    black bondsman

  • Sabletoll

    Sable black + toll slow stroke

    black slow stroke

  • Sablecinder

    Sable black + cinder fire slag

    black fire slag

  • Sablaluna

    Sabla black + luna moon

    black moon

  • Sablasolva

    Sabla black + solva loosening

    black loosening

  • Sablalena

    Sabla black + lena lamp

    black lamp

Roman


Real world

nigidius final · Nigidia initial

  • Probus Nigidius

    Probus honest + nigidius black

    honest, black

  • Servius Nigidius

    Servius preserved + nigidius black

    preserved, black

  • Rufus Nigidius

    Rufus red-haired + nigidius black

    red-haired, black

  • Nigidia Grata

    Nigidia black + grata pleasing

    black, pleasing

  • Nigidia Venusta

    Nigidia black + venusta lovely

    black, lovely

  • Nigidia Vitalis

    Nigidia black + vitalis full of life

    black, full of life

Welsh


Real world

Du initial · ddu final

  • Duhir

    Du black + hir long

    black long

  • Dudref

    Du black + dref steading

    black steading

  • Dufawr

    Du black + fawr big

    black big

  • Llygaddu

    Llygad eye + ddu black

    eye black

  • Cainddu

    Cain lovely + ddu black

    lovely black

  • Liliddu

    Lili lily + ddu black

    lily black

Werewolf


Creatures

Svart initial · Sable initial

  • Svarthollow

    Svart black + hollow small valley

    black small valley

  • Svartsnarl

    Svart black + snarl angry growl

    black angry growl

  • Svartrime

    Svart black + rime hoarfrost

    black hoarfrost

  • Sablewood

    Sable black + wood woodland

    black woodland

  • Sableshadow

    Sable black + shadow shade cast

    black shade cast

  • Sablegrace

    Sable black + grace favour

    black favour

Banshee


Creatures

Dubh initial

  • Dubhgrian

    Dubh black + grian sun

    black sun

  • Dubhamhran

    Dubh black + amhran song

    black song

  • Dubhlamh

    Dubh black + lamh hand

    black hand

Bard


Tabletop

Nero initial

  • Nerotorre

    Nero black + torre tower

    black tower

  • Neromano

    Nero black + mano hand

    black hand

  • Nerogiorno

    Nero black + giorno day

    black day

Castle


Objects

Noir initial

  • Noirchastel

    Noir black + chastel castle

    black castle

  • Noirpre

    Noir black + pre meadow

    black meadow

  • Noirroche

    Noir black + roche rock

    black rock

Cat


People

Ebon initial

  • Ebonwold

    Ebon black + wold forest

    black forest

  • Ebonred

    Ebon black + red counsel

    black counsel

  • Ebonie

    Ebon black + ie darling

    black darling

Centaur


Creatures

Melano initial

  • Melanoarchos

    Melano black + archos leader

    black leader

  • Melanoagros

    Melano black + agros field

    black field

  • Melanozygos

    Melano black + zygos yoke

    black yoke

Country


Objects

Ater initial

  • Ateristan

    Ater black + istan place

    black place

  • Aterosia

    Ater black + osia island country

    black island country

  • Aterona

    Ater black + ona land

    black land

Dwarf


Fantasy races

Svart initial

  • Svartrikk

    Svart black + rikk realm

    black realm

  • Svartferd

    Svart black + ferd journey

    black journey

  • Svartak

    Svart black + ak edge

    black edge

French


Real world

Noir initial

  • Noircour

    Noir black + cour courtyard

    black courtyard

  • Noirroy

    Noir black + roy king

    black king

  • Noirfèvre

    Noir black + fèvre smith

    black smith

German


Real world

Schwarz initial

  • Schwarzhaus

    Schwarz black + haus house

    black house

  • Schwarzheim

    Schwarz black + heim home

    black home

  • Schwarzhagen

    Schwarz black + hagen enclosure

    black enclosure

Guild


Objects

The Sable initial

  • The Sable Dominion

    The Sable black + dominion lordship

    black lordship

  • The Sable Ascendancy

    The Sable black + ascendancy upward mastery

    black upward mastery

  • The Sable Sisterhood

    The Sable black + sisterhood band of sisters

    black band of sisters

Hawaiian


Real world

ele final

  • Hoaele

    Hoa companion + ele black

    black companion

  • Alaele

    Ala path + ele black

    black path

  • Paliele

    Pali cliff + ele black

    black cliff

Human


People

Blaec initial

  • Blaecwynn

    Blaec black + wynn joy

    black joy

  • Blaecric

    Blaec black + ric ruler

    black ruler

  • Blaecrun

    Blaec black + run secret

    black secret

Japanese


Real world

Kuro initial

  • Kuromachi

    Kuro black + machi town

    black town

  • Kuroji

    Kuro black + ji temple

    black temple

  • Kurohama

    Kuro black + hama beach

    black beach

Knight


People

Noir initial

  • Noirroche

    Noir black + roche rock

    black rock

  • Noirbec

    Noir black + bec stream

    black stream

  • Noirmont

    Noir black + mont hill

    black hill

Kraken


Creatures

Svart initial

  • Svartvaldr

    Svart black + valdr wielder

    black wielder

  • Svartfari

    Svart black + fari traveller

    black traveller

  • Svartbrjotr

    Svart black + brjotr breaker

    black breaker

Lich


Creatures

Atra initial

  • Atraministra

    Atra black + ministra attendant

    black attendant

  • Atraforma

    Atra black + forma shape

    black shape

  • Atratutrix

    Atra black + tutrix guardian

    black guardian

Mountain


Objects

Dubh initial

  • Dubhsaddle

    Dubh black + saddle dip between peaks

    black dip between peaks

  • Dubhbrae

    Dubh black + brae hillside

    black hillside

  • Dubhedge

    Dubh black + edge escarpment

    black escarpment

Pirate


People

the black final

  • Simon the Black

    Simon listener + the black black

    listener, called the black

  • Rufus the Black

    Rufus red haired + the black black

    red haired, called the black

  • William the Black

    William resolute protector + the black black

    resolute protector, called the black

Planet


Objects

Ater initial

  • Aterida

    Ater black + ida daughter

    black daughter

  • Atermons

    Ater black + mons peak

    black peak

  • Aterides

    Ater black + ides descendant

    black descendant

Scottish


Real world

Duff initial

  • Dufford

    Duff black + ford crossing

    black crossing

  • Duffwood

    Duff black + wood forest

    black forest

  • Duffness

    Duff black + ness point

    black point

Tavern


Objects

The Black initial

  • The Black Candle

    The Black black + candle wax light

    black wax light

  • The Black Hound

    The Black black + hound hunting dog

    black hunting dog

  • The Black Goat

    The Black black + goat she-goat

    black she-goat

Viking


Real world

Svart initial

  • Svartsegl

    Svart black + segl sail

    black sail

  • Svartskinn

    Svart black + skinn hide

    black hide

  • Svartfeld

    Svart black + feld cloak

    black cloak

Witch


People

Blaec initial

  • Blaecick

    Blaec black + ick little

    black little

  • Blaecard

    Blaec black + ard keeper

    black keeper

  • Blaeceth

    Blaec black + eth breath

    black breath

Senses that travel together

See also

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