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

Wed Dec 4 07:25:48 PST 2013

> Klingon Word of the Day for Wednesday, December 04, 2013
> 
> Klingon word: tuq
> Part of speech: noun
> Definition: House, clan

TKW 34:  an ancestral grouping now usually translated as "house"

KGT 5:  Some houses (that is, lineages) are more wealthy and powerful than others.

KGT 36-38:  Klingon society is a stratified one. That is, there are clear distinctions between those with great wealth and influence and those with little or none. This sort of status is a matter of inheritance. Among the higher classes, one is born into an ancestral unit known as a {tuq}, normally translated "house". Some houses are particularly wealthy, controlling vast lands by means of armed forces loyal to the particular house. Other houses have far less influence and, for survival, often form alliances with the larger houses. Each house is led by the eldest male direct descendent of the previous leader (there are complex traditions dealing with what happens if there is no male heir), and the heads of the larger houses--that is, those with the greatest holdings and strongest forces-have seats on the Klingon High Council ({tlhIngan yejquv}), the body that rules the Empire. Since the number of seats on the Council is limited, many houses are not directly represented, are not as influential in Klingon society, and therefore occupy a slightly lower social position. In addition to wielding great political influence, members of the higher classes are also better educated than are others, particularly in the area of the arts.
   Houses routinely contribute troops, ships, and weaponry and go into battle to help advance the Empire's objectives. On the other hand, it is not unusual for the interests of the various houses and their leaders to be at odds with one another, leading to hostilities between houses, sometimes lasting generations Depending on a house's successes in any of these battles, its holdings--and therefore its overall influence in the society--may increase or decrease. A house's place in society may also be adversely affected by the behavior of its leadership. If the High Council determines an action to be dishonorable, not only may it remove the leader of a house from the Council itself, it may also seize the house's lands, forces, and other holdings. Though members of the lower levels of society may not identify themselves as members of a house, they usually have pledged loyalty to one. Typically, members of this class work as servants or perform duties necessary for the daily functioning of the Empire's undertakings. Many serve as members of a house's military forces. [...]
   Various fleets and squadrons are loyal to various houses, though, as might be expected, the details of these alliances are subject to change. Within the Klingon Defense Force ({tlhIngan Hubbeq}), which includes the entire Klingon military apparatus, the highest officers tend to be members of influential houses, particularly the members of the ultimate military authority, the High Command ({ra'ghomquv}).

KGT 61:  Though originally utilitarian in nature, the {Ha'quj} has taken on symbolic functions as well, its ornamentation representing the family unit or house ({tuq}) of its wearer.

KGT 11:  While the conventional phrases used in some rituals are uttered in modern Klingon ... those used in a great many others are in a form of {no' Hol} (such as those associated with the {bIreqtal} [*brek'tal*], the ceremony in which the killer of the leader of a Klingon house marries the widow and thereby becomes the head of the house himself).

st.k (9/1997):  According to Maltz, there are at least a couple of ways to identify a Klingon's house (or {tuq}) ... To say "Kahlor of the House of Molor" (or, if you prefer, "Kahlor from the House of Molor"), you'd say simply "Kahlor, House of Molor" {qeylor molor tuq}. If you want to be even more formal, the name of the father may be used as well... "Kahlor, son of Kahlin, of the House of Molor" is "Kahlor, son of Kahlin, House of Molor" {qeylor qeylIn puqloD molor tuq}. The other way is actually more formal and a bit formulaic. To say "Kahlor is of the House of Molor" (or "Kahlor is from the House of Molor"), you could say {tay' qeylor molor tuq je}. This is literally "Kahlor and the House of Molor are together." The construction is no doubt based on the Klingon proverb "One is always of his tribe" (literally, "a person and his house are always together"):  {reH tay' ghot tuqDaj je}. If Kahlor is speaking, he could say, "I am of the House of Molor" {matay' jIH molor tuq je}. Or if one were speaking to Kahlor, one could say, "You are of the House of Molor" {Sutay' SoH molor tuq je}. Literally, these are "The House of Molor and I are together" [and] "The House of Molor and you are together." The independent pronouns ({jIH} "I" and {SoH} "you" in the examples above) are always used in this construction." 

qa'vaj (1/17/2008):  I was playing around with KCD, and hit a spot where one of the Klingons said something like "our houses have always stood door-to-door} ... It seems quite idiomatic.

{qul tuq} "House of Fire" is the title of a popular Klingon opera (KCD).

"Join me in the *R'uustai*, the Bonding... You will be part of my family now and for all time." (TNG "The Bonding")

HQ 9.3 (p. 8): {tuqnIgh} is used to refer to any member of a house.

reH tay' ghot tuqDaj je 
One is always of his tribe
("A person and his house are always together"). TKW

pInaDqu' tuqlIj wInaDqu' je 
Glory to you and your house
("We praise you highly; we also praise your house highly") KGT

qorDu'Daj tuq 'oS Ha'quj'e' tuQbogh wo'rIv 
The sash that Worf wears is a symbol of his family's house. S20

DuraS tuq tlhIngan yejquv patlh luDub 'e' reH lunIDtaH DuraS be'nI'pu' lurSa' be'etor je. 
The sisters of the House of Duras, Lursa and B'Etor, are constantly seeking a higher standing for the House of Duras within the Klingon High Council. S26

jaghpu'ra' bopujmoHtaHvIS, ghur tuqmeyraj quv. 
Honor will rise in your houses as you bring your enemies to their knees. MKE

vaSvamDaq tuq veng je quvvaD Heghqangbogh SuvwI' tu'be'lu''a' 
Is there nobody in this hall prepared to die for the honor of your tribe and city? PB