Castle, manor, palace or fortress?

In Swedish the term slott plays many roles: it refers to castles, palaces, some especially grand manors, and occasionally even fortresses. Why does one word span so many types of buildings—and what are the differences between them? Let’s explore.

Origins of the words

The Swedish slott and related words stem from Latin castellum, meaning “fortified place.” Over time:

• Slott transferred from “fortress” to signify royal and noble residences.
• Borg typically retains the meaning of a medieval fortress or stronghold.
• Kastell is a direct loan word for a military fortification—less commonly used in everyday speech.
• Palats comes via French and Latin to refer to large, grand residences primarily built for display or ceremonial use—often urban and royal.

The term herrgård refers to a landed estate—the residence of a lord or noble outside urban centres. From an etymological standpoint, blending definitions with slott sometimes occurs when a manor becomes grand enough to resemble a castle or palace.

English	Swedish	Typical Meaning
Castle	Slott / borg	A fortified residence; built for defence and prestige
Palace	Palats	Grand, ceremonial urban residence
Manor	Herrgård / sometimes slott	Rural estate owned by nobility; agricultural centre
Fortress	Borg / kastell	Military stronghold built primarily for defence

Photo: Kateryna Baiduzha, Wikimedia