[Tlhingan-hol] Klingon Word of the Day: lat

[Steven Boozer]

> Klingon word:   lat
> Part of speech: noun
> Definition:     shrine

Never used in a sentence.  AFAIK never discussed or described by Okrand.
 
If by {lat} Okrand means the portable box containing an statuette of Kahless, then we've seen one from time to time in Worf's quarters on TNG.  There's a close-up photo showing its carved doors open, containing a statuette of what appears to be Kahless holding a conventional sword (interestingly, NOT his bat'leth) in TKW (p.210).  If this is 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 *{chIrghHom}.  You could probably use {lat} to refer to those ornate jeweled cases the Bajorans keep their nine Orbs or "Tears of the Prophets." (DS9 "Emissary" et al.)

{lat} might be an element in Quin'lat, a city on Qo'noS featured in the Kahless legend.

According to KCD the {Hov lat} is a "symbolic representation of the constellation known as The Tracker. The constellation contains the star which is believed to be where Kahless was pointing when he said, 'I will be there'."  The Chalice of Kahless is "placed before the {Hov lat}, where it is always left, filled with wine, in case--the saying goes--Kahless comes. The wine is replaced every ninth day.

Related words:

chIrgh 		temple
ghIn 		monastery


--
Voragh
Ca'Non Master of the Klingons