tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Thu Aug 15 11:08:02 2002
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Re: Klingon WOTD: chIrgh (n)
>This is the Klingon Word Of The Day for Thursday, August 15, 2002.
>
>Klingon word: chIrgh
>Part of Speech: noun
>Definition: temple
{chIrgh} has never been used in canon.
N.B. We also have the noun {lat} "shrine" from KGT.
SPECULATION AHEAD:
If by {lat} Okrand means the portable box containing an image of Kahless,
then we've seen one from time to time in Worf's quarters on TNG and
DS9. There's a close-up photo on TKW p.210 showing its carved doors open,
containing a statuette of what appears to be Kahless holding a conventional
sword (interestingly, NOT his bat'leth). If this is indeed a {lat}, it
would seem to refer to a household shrine or altar (cf. the Roman lararium,
which contained small statuettes of the household gods) and not a small,
roadside structure or dedicated room in a larger building. It *may* turn
out that {chIrgh} refers to buildings and {lat} refers to these venerated,
portable boxes/arks. If this interpretation is correct, you could probably
use {lat} to refer to those bejeweled boxes the Bajorans use to hold their
"Tears of the Prophets."
EVEN MORE SPECULATION:
I wonder if the so-called monastery on Boreth is actually a large
{chIrgh}? If so, that may be why Okrand never gave us a separate word for
"monastery" in KGT. The term monastery may be a Federation
mis-translation; the presence of so many "monks" - called "Guardians (i.e.
{'avwI'pu'}?) of Boreth" in the script and the "Star Trek Encyclopedia"
IIRC - may have confused the first Federation travellers. Interestingly,
there is also some confusion of terms in ENTERPRISE "The Andorian Incident"
where the Vulcan "monastery" on P'Jem is referred to variously as a temple,
sanctuary, monastery and retreat. In "Shadows of P'Jem" the writers seem
to have settled on "sanctuary", which may well fit {chIrgh} better too.
--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons