Forms of address in Themiclesia
Forms of address in Themiclesia convey the speaker's attitude and relationship with the addressed. Themiclesian culture dictates that whenever a form of address is available, addressing another by name is to be avoided and may be perceived as insulting.
Abbreviations
- The Honourable: The Hon.
- The Right Honourable: The Rt. Hon.
Royalty
Royal household
Note that predh-gra′, though translating Majesty, is used only for the sovereign or foreign sovereigns. The empress consort is not called predh-gra′, even though she enjoys the style of Majesty in Anglian writing. Mutandis mutatis for former sovereign's consorts. On envelopes, senior royals including the sovereign, his consort, former sovereigns' consorts, the heir apparent, and the heir apparent's consort, are indicated by their respective palaces. The envelope address of The Matriarch, if left unspecified, by default means the current sovereign's biological mother.
Other members of the royal family are addressed solely as Prince/Princess X if they do not have their own titular households; they do not need to be further specified as to their actual addresses. While Themiclesian monarchs had practiced concubinage up to the end of the 19th century, they are never addressed by the palaces in which they actually live. Rather, they take the title courtesy of their fathers, who always possess a title of nobility.
| Position | On envelopes | Salutation | Oral style | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anglian | Shinasthana | Anglian | Shinasthana | Anglian | Shinasthana | |
| Emperor | To the Sk′ên-ljang Palace | 上顯陽宮 | Your Majesty | 皇帝陛下 | My sovereign | 主上 |
| Empress Consort | To the Middle Palace | 上中宮 | Your Majesty | 皇后殿下 | Heavenly lady | 天君 |
| Former monarch's wife | To the Gweng-l′junh Palace | 上宏訓宮 | Your Majesty | 帝太后殿下 | Great lady | 大君 |
| Current monarch's mother (if different) | The Matriarch | 伯氏 | Your Imperial Highness | 伯君殿下 | Matriarch lady | 伯君 |
| Heir apparent | To the East Palace | 上東宮 | Your Imperial Highness | 帝子殿下 | Your Imperial Highness | 公子 |
| Heir apparent's wife | To the East Palace, Ljan-ning Hall | 上東延年殿 | Your Imperial Highness | 東宮君殿下 | Your Imperial Highness | 帝君 |
| Emperor's siblings and children | The Prince/Princess Name | 公子某 | Your Highness | 公子閣下 | Your Highness | 公子 |
| Emperor's siblings' and children's consorts | The Prince/Princess Consort Name | 子氏某 | Your Highness | 子氏閣下 | Your Highness | 子君 |
| Emperor's grandchildren | Prince/Princess Name | 公孫某 | Honourable Prince/Princess | 公孫閣下 | Prince/Princess | 公孫 |
| Emperor's grandchildren's consorts | Prince/Princess Consort Name | 孫氏某 | Honourable Prince/Princess Consort | 孫氏閣下 | Prince/Princess | 孫君 |
| Emperor's great-grandchildren | Prince/Princess Name | 子某 | Honourable Prince/Princess | 公孫閣下 | Prince/Princess | 公孫 |
| Emperor's grandchildren's consorts | Prince/Princess Consort Name | 氏某 | Honourable Prince/Princess Consort | 孫氏閣下 | Prince/Princess | 孫君 |
Titles in appanage
| Position | On envelopes | Salutation | Oral style | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anglian | Shinasthana | Anglian | Shinasthana | Anglian | Shinasthana | |
| Royal Prince | The Prince of X | 某子 | Noble Prince of X | 某子閣下 | My lord | 君 |
| Royal Prince's wife | The Princess Consort of X | 某子氏 | Noble Princess Consort of X | 某氏閣下 | My lady | 君 |
| Royal Princess | The Princess of X | 某婦 | Noble Princess of X | 某婦閣下 | My lady | 君 |
| Royal Princess's husband | The Prince Consort Name of X | 某婦君某 | Noble Prince Consort of X | 某婦君閣下 | My lord | 君 |
Nobility
Elder of Themiclesia
Please note that while the Elder of Themiclesia is listed as a title in most guides, it has never been actually granted since the 1600s. There exists debate as to how they should actually be addressed in Anglian, and the following are considered hypothetical if one were to be appointed now. While it is not legally impossible for a woman to be appointed Elder, this has in reality never occurred as a woman in the position of an Elder tended to use her own title to discharge an that function, rather than a title derived from a grandfather or uncle acting as guardian. The Elderdom is not a heritable title, but otherwise its holder is likely to be and has historically always been titled.
| Position | On envelopes | Salutation and valediction | Oral style | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anglian | Shinasthana | Anglian | Shinasthana | Anglian | Shinasthana | |
| Elder | The Elder of X | 某公 | Your Grace | 某公殿下 | Great lord | 大君 |
| Elder's wife | The Lady of Themiclesia | 某氏 | Your Grace | 某氏閣下 | Great lady | 大君 |
Patriarchs and princes palatine and their heirs apparent
A patriarch and a prince palatine are considered to be of the same rank. In historical terms, patriarchs (伯) and princes palatine (王) are considered junior sovereigns in a permanent alliance with the monarch rather than vassals. Indeed, the emperor is a style assumed by the Patriarch of Tsjinh (晉伯). As such, they and their families are entitled to certain styles, dignities, and even prerogatives common with the emperor. A female patriarch is called a matriarch. A patriarch is senior to a prince palatine, but within a palatine prince's own territories, the reverse is true. Patriarchs and princes palatine, their consorts, their children, and their children's consorts take precedence in all cases over the emperor's vassals.
| Position | On envelopes | Salutation and valediction | Oral style | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anglian | Shinasthana | Anglian | Shinasthana | Anglian | Shinasthana | |
| Patriarch/Matriarch | The Patriarch of Ra | 魯伯 | Your Highness | 魯伯殿下 | Great lord | 大君 |
| Patriarch's wife | Lady Maiden name, The Patriarch Consort of Ra | 魯帝君某氏 | Your Highness | 魯某氏殿下 | Great lady | 孟君 |
| Matriarch's husband | Name, The Lord of Ra | 魯君某 | Your Highness | 魯氏殿下 | Great lord | 大君 |
| Patriarch's heir apparent | The Agnate Prince/Princess of Ra | 魯帝大子 | Your Highness | 魯帝大子閣下 | Great lord | 大君 |
| Patriarch's heir apparent's wife | Lady Maiden name, The Agnate Prince/Princess Consort of Ra | 魯君某氏 | Your Highness | 魯帝大子閣下 | Great lord | 大君 |
| Prince/Princess palatine | The Prince Palatine of Ra | 魯王 | Your Highness | 魯王殿下 | Great prince | 大王 |
| Prince palatine's wife | Lady Maiden name, The Princess Palatine Consort of Ra | 魯王君某氏 | Your Highness | 魯氏閣下 | Princely lady | 王君 |
| Princess palatine's husband | Name, The Lord of Ra | 魯君某 | Your Highness | 魯氏閣下 | Princely lord | 王君 |
| Palatine Prince/Princess's heir apparent | The Agnate Prince/Princess of Ra | 魯王大子 | Your Highness | 魯王大子閣下 | Great lord | 大君 |
| Palatine Prince/Princess's heir apparent's wife | Lady Maiden name, The Agnate Prince/Princess Consort | 魯君某氏 | Your Highness | 魯王大子閣下 | Great lord | 大君 |
Next eldest son of patriarchs and princes palatine
In Themiclesian custom, it is usual to address the most senior son other than the heir apparent as Baron-in-Chief of that patriarch or prince palatine, regardless whether an actual appointment has been made. This is not a heritable title, so the children of the baron-in-chief take their titles as grandchildren of the patriarch or prince palatine.
| Position | On envelopes | Salutation and valediction | Oral style | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anglian | Shinasthana | Anglian | Shinasthana | Anglian | Shinasthana | |
| Baron-in-Chief | The Baron-in-Chief of Ra | 魯孟侯 | Your Lordship | 某公殿下 | Great lord | 大君 |
| Baron-in-Chief's wife | Lady Kem, Chief Baronness of Ra | 魯孟侯君甘氏 | Your Ladyship | 某氏閣下 | Great lady | 大君 |
Other children of patriarchs and princes palatine
As with the royal family, there is no gender distinction in Shinasthana between the sons and daughters of patriarchs and princes palatine, though it is made in Anglian following international customs. The form of address for a married woman depends on her status and that of her husband. If her own household is of a rank higher than her husband's, she is generally referred to by her titles courtesy of their own household; if not, a title courtesy of her husband is used. These customs exist as to general, social appellation: to her own household, she always takes her husband's title, and to her husband's household, she always is known by her original household's titles.
| Position | On envelopes | Salutation and valediction | Oral style | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anglian | Shinasthana | Anglian | Shinasthana | Anglian | Shinasthana | ||
| Patriarch or Matriarch's |
sons and daughters unmarried | The Lord/Lady Name of Ra | 魯子某 | Your Lordship/Ladyship | 魯子閣下 | My lord | 君 |
| daughters married | Lady Ra of Kem | 甘魯氏君 | Your Ladyship | 魯君氏閣下 | My lord | 君 | |
| son's wife | Lady Kem, Lady of Ra | 魯子君甘氏 | Your Ladyship | 甘氏君閣下 | My lady | 君 | |
| daughter's husband | Name, Lord of Ra | 魯子君某 | Your Lordship | 魯君某閣下 | My lord | 君 | |
| grandsons and granddaughters unmarried | The Lord/Lady Name of Ra | 魯孫某 | Your Lordship/Ladyship | 魯孫閣下 | My lord | 君 | |
| granddaughters married | Lady Ra of Kem | 甘魯孫氏君 | Your Ladyship | 君氏閣下 | My lord | 君 | |
| grandson's wife | Lady Kem, Lady of Ra | 魯孫君甘氏 | Your Ladyship | 君氏閣下 | My lady | 君 | |
| granddaughter's husband | The Rt. Hon. Mr. Name of Ra | 魯孫君某 | Dear Mr. Name of Ra | 魯君某閣下 | Mr. Name | 君 | |
| Palatine prince or princess's |
sons and daughters unmarried | Lord Name of Ra | 魯王子某 | Your Lordship/Ladyship | 魯王子閣下 | My lord | 君 |
| daughters married | Lady Ra of Kem | 甘魯氏君 | Your Ladyship | 魯君氏閣下 | My lord | 君 | |
| son's wife | Lady Kem, Lady of Ra | 魯子君甘氏 | Your Ladyship | 甘氏君閣下 | My lady | 君 | |
| daughter's husband | Lord Name of Ra | 魯子君某 | Your Lordship | 魯君某閣下 | My lady | 君 | |
| grandsons and granddaughters unmarried | Lord/Lady Name of Ra | 魯孫某 | Your Lordship/Ladyship | 某氏閣下 | My lord | 君 | |
| granddaughters married | Lady Ra of Kem | 甘魯孫氏君 | Your Ladyship | 君氏閣下 | My lord | 君 | |
| grandson's wife | Lady Kem, Lady of Ra | 魯孫君某氏 | Your Ladyship | 君氏閣下 | My lady | 君 | |
| granddaughter's husband | The Rt. Hon. Mr. Name of Ra | 魯子君某氏 | Dear Mr. Name of Ra | 魯君某閣下 | Mr. Name | 君 | |