[tlhIngan Hol] Klingon Word of the Day: pemjep

[Steven Boozer]

Klingon word: pemjep
Part of speech: noun
Definition: midday
Source: TKD
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  DaHjaj pemjep 
  this midday
  today in the middle of the day
  (lit. "today midday" or "today's midday") (st.k 6/29/1997)

SEE:
DungluQ 	noon (n)

  DaHjaj DungluQ 
  this noon (lit. "today noon" or "today's noon") (st.k 6/29/1997)

  DungluQ tIHIv.  ngugh Qongbe' chaH. 
  Attack them at noon! They won't be sleeping then.
  Attack them at noon. They're not sleeping then. (st.k 11/1999)

(SuSvaj at qep'a' loSDIch):  As {Dung} means "area above", I had always assumed that {DungluQ} meant "high sun".  I asked Okrand if this was in fact the case, and if so could we infer that {luQ} meant sun.  He flatly said "No you can't."  Apparently it is derived from {Dung}, but he did not have "high sun" in mind when he coined the word.  In fact he said he created {DungluQ} before the Paramount writers came up with "high sun", and he was even a little ticked at the writers for inferring" high sun".

Actually, the Paramount writers used the phrase twice.  In TNG "Redemption (Part I)" acting Arbiter of Succession Picard takes tea at the home of the Duras sisters:

   PICARD:  You have manipulated the circumstances with the skill of a Romulan.  
                    My decision will be announced at high sun tomorrow.  Excellent tea.
                    Good day, ladies.  

In TNG "Sins of the Father" Worf and his brother Kurn plan their defense of their father's honor before the High Council:

   KURN:     The Council will receive you at high sun in the Great Hall of...
   WORF:     I know the procedure for the challenge.   

SEE ALSO:
pem  		day,  daytime (n)
ramjep 		midnight (n)

Regarding suggestions that *{jep} means something like "middle (of a period of time)" :

(MO to Felix, 3/2015):  Maltz is a devotee of Shex'pir, as he is of other traditional Klingon literature.  He said that in the original Klingon version of the play, {yulyuS qaySar} was told to beware of the {maS'e' So'bogh pagh}, the full moon.  He said he really doesn't know why this was changed in the English translation [i.e. to "the Ides of March"], but he guessed it may have something to do with how Earth calendars work or used to work.  Regarding *{jep}, he said he'd never heard *{jarjep} (or *{DISjep} or *{Hoghjep} or the like), but if someone were to say a word like that, he'd probably get the gist of what was meant.

--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons