[Ansteorra] hiding mundane

[Jay Rudin]

"Scholar" isn't a title.  It's a common English word meaning somebody in 
school or somebody studying.  Even when it denotes a specific position 
(such as the lowest of four ranks in the London Masters of Defense), nobody 
would ever use it as a title.  If it was ever used as a title, it slipped 
by me (and by the Oxford English Dictionary).

There are social titles, like Lord / Lady, Duke / Duchess, Mr. / Ms., etc. 
There are vanishingly few professional titles like "Doctor", Professor", 
etc.  But most professions don't have titles.  Therefore most people only 
have a social title, not a professional one.

A student would not be called "Scholar Johnson", for the same reason he 
wouldn't be called "Sophomore Johnson", "English-Major Johnson", "Halfback 
Johnson", "Commuter Johnson" or any other form of a common English word 
used as a title.

Robin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin


> For a secular cleric from 14 century Ireland, the title of Scholar was 
> the
> first thing that crossed my mind. There were also calligraphers and
> illuminators, also, but I shall have to consult some books to see if 
> these
> are ever used as titles-before-a-name.
>
> Si'le inghean ui macAoidh