You guys will always find gay innuendo in any word that has "queen" in it. My guess is that in the OP's world, that connotation won't exist, so it shouldn't matter to her.
I agree with minstrel. I think only severely immature readers will see Queendom, Queensland, or Queensrealm and relate it to something homosexual. It's always something to look out for (like you'd never want to name a character Mike Rotch), but in this case, it's not that serious. I do like Queensrealm, though. It's much more angelic.
I've been contemplating writing a fantasy comedy for a while now, and if I write it, may very well use both Queendom and Queensrealm also Mike Rotch
I was going to say something similar. The whole "queen" thing is derived in 70's New York I would guess.
I would say it comes from several different sources. You have the term drag queen. There is the saying, "He's such a queen." Freddie Mercury lead singer of Queen was gay. You could come at this from several different angles.
There are only certain ages/groups that are going to think of a drag queen when they hear the word queen. Most likely a minority.
*sigh* Is this forum really such a vacuous chasm, completely devoid of any humour? I'm just having a laugh but by default, for daring to stray into the (P.C.) gay arena, I must be some backward thinking yokel for making such connections. Schoolboy humour, I know, but I'll wager the gay community would be neither up nor down about it. The 'right on' brigade however, have to bang the drum for egalitarianism. Guess what, I'm for equality across the race, religion and sexual orientation spectrum too. Lowest common denominator humour; harmless none the less.
Well, dunno if anyone mentioned this, dukedoms were a more common word back when which literally meant the lands the duke owned. Duke was still under the King but he had his own lands to manage so a queendom, fiefdom, and, the less popular, barondom aren't incorrect or strange. Maybe not at official English word but anyone who reads it wouldn't be confused when it's in context.
@outsider strolled toward club Mercury. The sign read 'ladies only,' and here outside a thousand men in chaps cried into their leather caps. 'No entry boys, ha ha ha,' said a Jezebel red head on the door security. 'Damn those lesbians,' he said (Outsider), punching his fist. 'Look at me standing here in my baby blue shorts and only the long socks (and a leather cap), where shall I go now? Indeed I feel ridiculous. One day there shall be equality for men in this queendom of hell.' At that precise moment a police van pulled to the curb. Twelve fat filth with faces like pigs beat him savagely with their coppers' thick, swollen truncheons glistening under a full moon, hmmmmmm nice. (brackets indicate second draft)
Huh. I went off to Google this, and learned that a dukedom is the title, while the land that a duke rules is a duchy. Apparently you can have the dukedom without the duchy. This is only vaguely relevant to your post, but once I saw it I felt the urge to post it anyway.
@ChickenFreak It's quite relevant actually. I would have said "Let's go to the Dukedom" rather than "Let's go to the Duchy" Where it would be more correct to say "I'll take the Dukedom for myself" rather than "I'll take the Duchy for myself" as we're talking about the area borders rather than the area itself... or something.
I am actually laughing out loud right now. Ahh ok. Now we do know that Queendom could be used but does it sound stupid, would you have a good laugh if you read it in an otherwise mostly serious book? Most of you think it would fit better in a humorous setting, ok. Queensrealm is interesting. Honestly I had no idea my idea was so loaded with contention..
I don't see what the big fuss is. Would any of us be taken so aback from seeing Queendom rather than Kingdom is a typical fantasy book we pick up from a bookstore?
I think (which admittedly is where my problems typically begin), that it is simply experience. People who lead the way in any social movement as usually the most zealous. Queendom is rarely, if ever, heard. As a result, such a wording is almost certainly done by someone trying to take a stand, make a point, or someone who "it annoys" every time she writes 'Kingdom'. That said, the word seems to fit your story and I am all for challenging convention - I say, go for it. But...not in the title.
No disrespect, but "Queendom" somehow makes me picture a gay bar. Or an island inhabited by amazon women. (think Wonder Woman) I guess if the term had actually been used then we would be more familiar with it and more accepting of it. Hmmm.
See, when I see the word all tiny I've been reading "queefdom", which (while hilarious) is probably not what you want when you make up a word.
