[tlhIngan Hol] Klingon Word of the Day: jem'IH

[Steven Boozer]

Klingon Word of the Day for Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Klingon word: 	jem'IH
Part of speech:  noun
Definition: 	castle
Source: 	Email to Lieven
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(Lieven < MO, 1/01-02/2018):
    In English, a castle is (typically) a building built for protection or fortification. It can, but doesn't have to be, pretty fancy, but its primary function is defense. A palace, on the other hand, is (typically) a building built to show off wealth, power, and/or importance, but it's not necessarily the best place to be during a battle. Having said that, in day-to-day 21st-Century English, the distinction isn't always so clear. 
    For Klingons, the distinction is also a little murky, since they would never construct a palace (a home for the emperor or some other important person) that was not designed deal with battles. They might construct a castle, though, that wasn't particularly lavish and not a suitable place for an official residence of the emperor. The word for such a structure — elegant or otherwise -- is {jem'IH}. The emperor's castle/palace is simply {ta' jem'IH}. If, however, the emphasis is to be on the elegance or grandeur of the {jem'IH}, there's another word that can be used: {DuHmor}.  A {DuHmor} is a type of {jem'IH}, so it's a good place for the emperor to hang out. For clarify, you can say {ta' DuHmor}.  The emperor's official residence would more likely be referred to as a {DuHmor} than a {jem'IH}, but not necessarily always.
     Klingon ships, of course, are battle-ready, so any ship designed to be the residence of the emperor might, I suppose, be referred to as a {jem'IH} or {ta' jem'IH}. And if it's a particularly grand place, then {DuHmor} or {ta' DuHmor} could make sense. (Maybe those are short for {jem'IH Duj} and {DuHmor Duj}.)  […]
     I'd say [{jem'IH}] could be used for any kind of permanent (or intended-to-be permanent or long-lasting) fortress that is continually staffed. Not for something built quickly that they intend to abandon once a battle is over.

SEE ALSO:
juH  				home,  house (n)
qach 				building,  structure (n)
qach'a' 				castle (n) PB
chalqach 			tower (n)
chalqach rachlu'ta'bogh 	fortified tower (n) PB
waw' 				base [military] (n)

PUNS: 
Himeji-jō (Himeji Castle) in Japan (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Himeji_Castle )

{rom HuD} "hill of Rome" = Palatine Hill :  "(one of the seven hills of Rome), on which Augustus and a number of other Roman Emperors had their primary residence and from which we get the English word palace." (QeS, 1/2018)

--
Voragh, Ca'Non Master of the Klingons
    Please contribute relevant vocabulary from the last year or two. I’ve fallen 
    behind in updating my files and adding cross-references for related words.