Name Suffixes
The Su-dono- A name that evolved into a title. The in-charge type person.
The first few heads of the Terran state all had names which contained the
syllable "su", so, when addressing them, Verdonne, who tended to stay on between
rulers, would persist in calling them "Su-dono", even after people with names no
longer associated with "su" began to take the position. The name stuck, and
migrated down through the ranks. The suffix -dono was used for this position in
the first place since Terra, seen by many officials as a brothel of brothels.
The Verdonne- The bodyguard/personal envoys of the Su-dono. There are
five, one from each sort of 43, except for healers [five being a lucky number in
Japan after all]. Verdonne is a "nature goddess" worshiped by characters in a
story by Carol Berg. Suffixes: -vert or -midori. Both mean "green" referring
back to the nature-goddess aspect of Verdonne. Also, "vert" is pronounced "ver"
same as the first syllable of the word [Ref 3A].
Winkin’ Missies- nick name of mages who report to the Su-dono directly,
as the all wear masks, frequently those of New Orleans that are known as Winkin’
Missies. Suffix: -Ise [that’s EES not EESEH], from the final syllable, what
which is most easily pronounced in Japanese.
Mages- High-ranking heralds. There are about 100 Heralds to every Mage,
so, needless to say, there aren’t a whole lot. Suffix: -anta. Mages are
notoriously rude, and "anta" is a vulgar, feminine form of "you".
Donos- people who own the villas (and ergo control the price of whores
:P), in times of debate, than can function rather like mayors, though this job
has historically been left more to the Villa Herald. Dono is originally a
Japanese name suffix in and of itself, one conveying respect, but not affection.
Since it referred mostly to feudal lords, it has gone out of common usage.
Heralds- there are 10-14 demons per Herald, retired Heralds retain their
rank. 90% are 43’s. Suffixes: -her, being the first syllable of the word and
also similar to the German "Herr" meaning "lord" [not to be confused with titled
people!]. -sama, a Japanese suffix conveying respect and affection, is often
used as well, mostly by Japanese people. Villa Heralds, those who serve Donos,
are -hera. This references both the Greek goddess, since villa heralds are
notorious for wearing pallas, and the fact, they tend to be referred to as
[name]-her a [city name] no Villa, "The herald of a city's villa".
People with Titles before their names- Demons or Daemons who have reached
a status of wealth, power and lovers, where they can get away with slapping a
title on before their name without being mocked. Once they do it, it sticks and
never goes away. All titles, regardless of rank differentiation on Antiterra,
are the same on Terra, and usually take the form of [Person’s name] [title] of
[noun]. It is more polite to use this formula to refer to them. Lord Vyx, not
being Lord of anything, is a rare exception to the custom of titles. There is a
tendency to sound out the whole name when addressing one such person, title and
all, rather than suffix it. If names are suffixed, it is usually with -sama.
From here, for the most part, traditional Japanese name suffixes are used in
accordance with a persons preferences and feeling towards the person whose name
is being modified...
-san: polite, not affectionate
-sama: polite, affectionate
-chan: cute! Usually feminine
-kun: chummy, informal, used among men typically
-sempai/senpai: person who one admires
-sensei- person with an occupation deserving of respect, like a doctor or
a teacher, anything that involved teaching or helping others.
With the additions of...
-ai: lover [not very common in Japan, but it does turn up. ai = spiritual
love].
-ashke: also lover, extracted from a Mercedes Lackey story where it was
used as a noun [Ref 3B].
Lack of suffix usage conveys a sense of equality, or intimacy.
Daemons- people born on Terra of either sex, though, typically such
people will have titles already and so have that rank. [Some people additionally
suffix these names -dae]
Rara Avis in Terra- (Latin: rare bird of the earth) women not born on
Terra, and not Heralds.
Demons- men living on Terra, not born there. The sub-structure here is
the same as that in Victorian England, except that whores and 43’s are
considered to be between the rich and the middle class, regardless of their job
in the case of 43’s.
Kept boys- have no rights basically, unless their master gives them any,
and masters are known for going out of their ways to please their boys, speaking
for them on all manner of matters. And class can have a kept boy, but, needless
to say, the rich and well known have more.
Real Mages- ... were driven out of Terran cities by Heralds, and have
been persona non grata there for several generations. There's is VERY little
occasion where such people would come into contact with someone who felt the
need to append their name. In public documents, the honorific used is -paria,
derivative of "pariah".
