Erbonian names and titles

Erbonian names, honorifics and titles are used in Great Nortend to refer to and address people of differing sorts and conditions. Given the hierarchial nature of Erbonian society, the correct use of names, honorifics and titles is considered very important, and is guided by strict rules which are explicitly taught in schools and society.

Names

A full name is made of three parts :— the Christian name, the confirmation name and the surname. The Christian name is conferred legally upon baptism. A confirmation name is chosen by the person at his confirmation, and often is the name of the saint's day upon which he was confirmed. The surname is inherited down the father's side of the family. Wives are required to change their surnames upon marriage, except by Royal licence.

Christian names

The Christian name of a child is given by his parents at the time of the child's baptism or christening. It is registered in the parish register. For children who are not baptised, the Christian name is replaced by the “forename”.

A Christian name commonly consists of two or more names, although some people only have one. It is required that a name be unique within a parish, and thus the custom of giving two Christian names arose. Members of the nobility may have three or more Christian names. Prince William de Anthord-Mere-Luces was christened William Edmund Hartmold Peter.

Christian names must be chosen from a list of names published by H. M. Chancery. Names not present on the Roll may be submitted to the Chancery for approval; however, approval must be received before christening. Christian names are required to be “becoming” for their bearers, and must indicate the child's sex.

Confirmation names

It is the custom that children take an additional name, their confirmation name, upon being confirmed in the Church of Nortend. This name is very often the name of the saint's day upon which the child was confirmed, or the name of a local or family saint of particular devotion.

Noble names

The names of the nobility are characterised by the particle “de”, placed before the surname. This formally elevates a “family” to the status of a “house”. The form of expressing a noble name is made complicated by the practice of adding by hyphenation territorial title to the existing surname in certain constructions.

Where a person has a feudal territorial title he hyphenates it after his surname when his territorial titles are not otherwise expressed. Here, there must be a distinction between territorial surnames and territorial titles. Whilst the former may be held by all members of the family, the territorial title is only held by certain members of the house according to the rules of titles.

A territorial title may also be a territorial surname if a family has no familial surname and a member is not entitled to bear the territorial title. The Margrave of Yarsough is Lord Giles de Arningforth-Yarsough, indicating that his family originated in Arningforth and that he is entitled to the territorial title of Yarsough. In full, his name and titles would be expressed as Giles de Arningforth, Margrave of Yarsough, Earl of Lostwin and Earl of Frogmarsh. His distant relative is Lord Archebold de Arningforth-Arningforth, whose branch of the family holds the ancestral barony of Arningforth. Thus, his name and titles are Archebold de Arningforth, Baron of Arningforth. Most other members of the family bear the surname Arningforth without territorial title as members of the House or Family of Arningforth.

Honorifics, styles and titles

Honorifics, styles and titles are commonly used in Erbonian society. A title is an office or position held, such as “Clerk of the Board” or “Earl of Nonsuch”. A style is a short adjective phrase which typically exalts or praises the person, such as “The Honourable” or “The Noble and Right Honourable”. It also refers to nominalised phrases used to refer to personages, such as “your Majesty”, “our Lordship” or “his Grace”. An honorific is a word attached to a name, such as “Mister”, “Father in God”, “Sir” or “Lord”.

An Erbonian person may have his name expressed with different complements of honorifics, styles and titles.

Commoners

Mister, Mr. (pl. Messirs, Mssrs.)

for married men and men past the age of marriage. It is always used with the surname or surname with Christian name. If the surname is unknown, “Messir” or “Sir” should be used instead. Using “Mister” by itself is considered rude. “Mister” is also used for unmarried men in a professional context.

Master (pl. Masters)

for boys and socially, for young men until marriage. “Mister” is used in professional contexts. “Master” is never abbreviated, and is used with the Christian name to address young boys.

Mistress, Mrs. (pl. Mesdames, Mmes.)

for married women and higher ranking unmarried women in a professional context, such as a headmistress, housekeeper, cook or postmistress, though she would use “Miss” socially. “Mrs.” is pronounced /ˈmɪsɪz/. It is used formally with the husband's Christian names; however, for day-to-day use, the woman's own Christian names are used.

Miss (pl. Misses)

“Miss” is used generally for girls and unmarried women. It is pronounced /ˈmɪs/. Like “Master”, “Miss” is not abbreviated and for young girls can be used with the Christian name only.

For addressing persons orally, Messir and Madam are used, with the plurals Messirs and Mesdames. Messir and Madam are abbreviated Sir and Ma'am for addressing persons less formally.

Clergymen

Clergymen who are not prelates are normally directly called “Mr.” or “Dr.” and their surname. More formally, the office may be used with “Mr.” (never with “Dr.”), with or without surname e.g. “Mr. Vicar Jones” or “Mr. Dean”. Prelates are addressed “my Lord Cardinal”, “my Lord Bishop” or simply “my Lord”. If the name is to be used, this becomes “the Lord Bishop Dr. Smith”, “the Lord Cardinal Dr. Smith”, “the Cardinal Dr. Smith” or simply “Dr. Smith”. Cardinals may also be addressed “your Grace” informally.

Clergymen are also entitled to honorific styles in the third person. These are, in order of precedence :—

• The Most Reverend Father in God, for archbishops
• The Right Reverend Father in God, for bishops
• The Very Reverend Mister, for provosts and deans
• The Reverend Mister, for priests and archdeacons
• The Worthy Mister, for deacons (rare)
• The Learned Mister, for clerks (rare)

Clerical styles are placed after any temporal styles. For example, “The Most Honourable Prince and Most Reverend Father in God” is the style for archbishops sitting in the Privy Council, which is de facto all of them.

Religious

Religious priests are called “Father” whilst lay brothers and friars are called “Brother”. Choir nuns are called “Mother” whilst lay sisters are called “Sister”. Informally, i.e. within their convents, their religious names are used. More formally, the surname is used.

Priors and prioresses are addressed “the Father Prior” or “the Mother Prioress” and have the style of The Very Reverend. Abbots and abbesses are addressed “my Lord Abbot” or “my Lady Abbess” and are styled The Right Reverend. Abbots, abbesses, priors and prioresses use the honorific of “Dom” and “Dame” respectively before their surnames, e. g. “the Lord Abbot Dom Fisher”.

Royalty

The formal honorifics and styles for royalty are :—

• His Majesty and The Most Excellent High and Mighty Sovereign Lord for the King
• Her Majesty and The Most Gracious Lady for a Queen consort
• His Royal Highness and The Most Excellent High and Mighty Prince for a Royal prince
• His Highness and The Excellent High and Mighty Prince for a prince

Nobility

The formal honorifics and styles for the nobility are :—

• His Lordship and The Most Noble Honourable and Potent Prince, for a duke
• His Lordship and The Noble and Most Honourable Lord, for a margrave
• His Lordship and The Noble and Right Honourable Lord, for an earl
• His Lordship and The Noble and Very Honourable Lord, for a baron
• The Honourable and “Sir”, for a knight banneret
• “Sir”, for a knight batchelor

A duke may also be informally addressed as “your Grace”.

Familiar and polite forms

Erbonian English retains somewhat the distinction between “familiar” and “polite” forms of address in the form of “thou/thee”, “ye/you” and their accompanying grammatical forms. This, however, is only used in somewhat fossilised circumstances. In courts of law, an accused person (the prisoner) is addressed with with informal “thou/thee” whilst lawyers are addressed “ye/you”. The third person grammatical forms are also used to convey deference, principally in the form of “my + title”. For example, judges are referred to as “my Lord” and customers “messir” and “madam”.