KRAKEN

Etymology

Proper noun

Kraken

(Norse mythology) A colossal sea monster that attacks ships and sailors, often portrayed as a giant octopus or squid

Noun

kraken (plural krakens)

Alternative form of Kraken

Source: Wiktionary


Kra"ken, n. Etym: [Prob. from OSw. krake, or ODan. krage the trunk of a tree, the branches of which are not entirely cut off, to which it was likened by the Norwegian mariners.]

Definition: A fabulous Scandinavian sea monster, often represented as resembling an island, but sometimes as resembling an immense octopus. To believe all that has been said of the sea serpent or kraken, would be credulity; to reject the possibility of their existence, would be presumption. Goldsmith. Like a kraken huge and black. Longfellow.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Coffee Trivia

The word “coffee” entered the English language in 1582 via the Dutch “koffie,” borrowed from the Ottoman Turkish “kahve,” borrowed in turn from the Arabic “qahwah.” The Arabic word qahwah was traditionally held to refer to a type of wine.

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