Languary - Day 10

[clare_dragonfly]

Today I've written honorifics. These would be appended to the name of the person you are addressing.

The honorifics are not gendered, but depend on the relative power and wisdom/education of the person you are addressing. For example, to an ordinary citizen, an Imperial officer would get the "powerful person" honorific (depending on age), while a librarian would get the "wise person" honorific. Addressing someone like a parent, you would usually not use any honorific at all, but you might add one if you want to add extra politeness. If I referred to my mother as "mother-uja," she would probably think I wanted something.

Wise person older: -uja
Wise person same age: -ija
Wise person younger: -eija
Powerful person older: -uhe
Powerful person same age: -ihe
Powerful person younger: -eihe
Simple politeness: -uru

The first set is roughly equivalent to "lord/lady," the second to "doctor," and the third to "Mr./Mrs."

For the Empress or another extremely powerful person, an ordinary citizen would probably use both honorifics: "Empress-uhe-uja," "O wise and powerful Empress." That brings the politeness to a groveling extreme. Naturally, ordinary citizens do not have the opportunity to use this much, and most people the Empress talks to would address her simply as "Empress-uhe" or, perhaps for family members, "Empress-uru."

Maybe tomorrow I'll come up with words for parents, important job titles, and Empress!

Comments

[aldersprig]

OOOH honorifics!! *bounce*

[clare_dragonfly]

:D I thought you might like this one!