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Old 22nd May 2007, 10:01 AM   #1 (permalink)
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Bit typical of the whole space opera thing, but...

...I'm working on a race which has an almost feudal society.

The main thing is is that I'm not entirely sure if I've missed some titles out of the list I've got. So if anyone can help me, that would be great.

The list I've got so far is:

Duke
Marquis/Marquess
Earl
Viscount
Baron
Baronet
Knight

I'm also intending to add Prince and King/Emperor above the list for the Imperial Family. The ship classes will also owe their classification to the list of nobility (dukeship, for example, would be a command vessel which in another navy would equate to dreadnought, knightship would be a corvette or frigate, and a baronship would be a light cruiser)
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Old 22nd May 2007, 10:03 AM   #2 (permalink)
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Re: Bit typical of the whole space opera thing, but...

You might take a look at this Wiki article, and some of the links it provides:

Nobility - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

especially this one:

A Glossary of Titles in 35 Languages
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Old 22nd May 2007, 10:06 AM   #3 (permalink)
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Re: Bit typical of the whole space opera thing, but...

Different countires have different noble titles. Nor is there much logic to the system - it sort of grew and evolved over the centuries. I'd recommend making up your own - although using the titles you've given. Providing it's consistent, no one's going to quibble.
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Old 22nd May 2007, 10:14 AM   #4 (permalink)
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Re: Bit typical of the whole space opera thing, but...

Quote:
Originally Posted by zorcarepublic View Post
...I'm working on a race which has an almost feudal society.

The main thing is is that I'm not entirely sure if I've missed some titles out of the list I've got. So if anyone can help me, that would be great.

The list I've got so far is:

Duke
Marquis/Marquess
Earl
Viscount
Baron
Baronet
Knight

I'm also intending to add Prince and King/Emperor above the list for the Imperial Family. The ship classes will also owe their classification to the list of nobility (dukeship, for example, would be a command vessel which in another navy would equate to dreadnought, knightship would be a corvette or frigate, and a baronship would be a light cruiser)
have you considered :
count?
Viceroy?
Pretender to the Throne?
The artist formerly known as Prince?
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Old 22nd May 2007, 10:20 AM   #5 (permalink)
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Re: Bit typical of the whole space opera thing, but...

Quote:
Originally Posted by HardScienceFan View Post
have you considered :
count?
Viceroy?
Pretender to the Throne?
The artist formerly known as Prince?
By the looks of it, the OP's list is the British peerage. Count isn't a British title; and viceroy is a position, not a rank in the peerage.
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Old 22nd May 2007, 10:55 AM   #6 (permalink)
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Re: Bit typical of the whole space opera thing, but...

Just don't include "Knights of the Bath" - I keep expecting to see them get knighted with a loofah or something
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Old 22nd May 2007, 11:59 AM   #7 (permalink)
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Re: Bit typical of the whole space opera thing, but...

Don't knock it; the "oath of fealty", "responsibility balanced by authority" organisation held society together, and stable, longer than any other system except tribalism and (maybe) theocracy. Certainly it's demonstrated its virtues longer than democracy, where the "bread and circuses" mentality is a permanent risk (democracy relies on a decently educated population to function at all, and even then the temptation to short term rather than long term thinking is near overwhelming. 700 years plus, here; anyone better?)
Certainly there were abuses of the system; any socio-political organisation gets abused. But there was enough flexibility to absorb the abuse, coupled with a rigid skeleton which guaranteed continuity (no, I prefer our present situation, too; but I was educated for that. The number of people searching for an authority figure on to whom they can hang their responsibilities, the generalised acceptance of dictators and ayatollas suggests that I'm not entirely typical)
And "count" must at one time have been a British title; most of the aristocratic tradition comes from the French, with the Normans, but anyway, otherwise, we wouldn't have "counties".
But the real difference lies not at the top of the food chain - those titles live on, disturbing almost no-one - but at the bottom where a yeoman or a peasant would look down at a lowly serf...which i hope is dead forever.
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Old 22nd May 2007, 12:18 PM   #8 (permalink)
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Re: Bit typical of the whole space opera thing, but...

Quote:
Originally Posted by chrispenycate View Post
And "count" must at one time have been a British title; most of the aristocratic tradition comes from the French, with the Normans, but anyway, otherwise, we wouldn't have "counties".
While the Normans might have brought the term "county" to England, the title "count" was never adopted - the Anglo-Saxon "earl" was used instead.

Perversely, the rank "viscount" was adopted in England. It means "vice-count" - it has the same etymology, from the Latin "comes" (companion).
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Old 22nd May 2007, 02:24 PM   #9 (permalink)
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Re: Bit typical of the whole space opera thing, but...

Funny that, the wife of an earl is still a countess.
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Old 22nd May 2007, 02:48 PM   #10 (permalink)
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Re: Bit typical of the whole space opera thing, but...

No one ever said the peerage was logical :-)
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Old 23rd May 2007, 12:14 AM   #11 (permalink)
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Re: Bit typical of the whole space opera thing, but...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Winters_Sorrow View Post
Just don't include "Knights of the Bath" - I keep expecting to see them get knighted with a loofah or something
Or the Knights who say Nih.
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Old 23rd May 2007, 12:20 AM   #12 (permalink)
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Re: Bit typical of the whole space opera thing, but...

What about Knights in White Satin (never reaching the end)?
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Old 25th May 2007, 07:34 AM   #13 (permalink)
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Re: Bit typical of the whole space opera thing, but...

Was it only noble titles you were wanting? There were also quite a few 'non-noble' ranks/titles, such as Yeoman and Serf as well.
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Old 25th May 2007, 08:56 AM   #14 (permalink)
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Re: Bit typical of the whole space opera thing, but...

the pedants are revolting!
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