Kening

Kening is a term used in the field of linguistics and etymology to describe the process by which a word or phrase becomes established in a language. It involves the adoption of a word or phrase from one language or dialect into another, often through borrowing, calquing, or other means of linguistic transfer. The term "kening" itself is derived from the Dutch word "kenen," which means "to know" or "to recognize," reflecting the idea that a word or phrase must be recognized and understood by speakers of a language for it to become established.

The process of kening can occur through various mechanisms, including direct borrowing, where a word is adopted from one language and used in another with little or no modification. For example, the English word "café" is a direct borrowing from French. Calquing, on the other hand, involves the translation of a word or phrase from one language into another, often resulting in a new word or phrase that is a direct translation of the original. For example, the English word "skyscraper" is a calque of the German word "Hochhaus."

Kening can also occur through the process of back-formation, where a new word is created by removing a suffix or prefix from an existing word. For example, the English word "happy" is a back-formation of the word "happiness." Additionally, kening can involve the process of compounding, where two or more words are combined to form a new word or phrase. For example, the English word "blackboard" is a compound of the words "black" and "board."

The process of kening is an ongoing and dynamic aspect of language evolution, as languages continually borrow, adapt, and create new words and phrases to reflect changes in culture, technology, and society.