[Ansteorra] Titles vs. Common Nouns

[Jay Rudin]

Pieter asked:

>Who are we to stop Squire John from calling himself Squire John? 

I'm a precedence herald.  It's my job to teach people about correct usage.

> It is not a title that is correct. But since it is not a title and therefor not "protected" why not? 

Because it is incorrect usage.  Not "protected" doesn't mean the English language stopped having rules.  I am Dr. Rudin, but not Teacher Rudin or Statistician Rudin.  I am Master Robin, but not Herald Robin or Bard Robin.  I have a fealty relationship to the Queen, but I am not Vassal Robin.  It is simply not true that any noun describing what one does can be correctly used as a prefix title.

> Perhaps "Cadet Rhiannon" is not correct for her. But if Cadet Bob wishes to call himself that who are you to tell him he can't?

I'm a member of the militant arm of the Ansteorran College of Heralds, and I'm somebody who has researched this issue both in the SCA and in history.  And I'm not saying he "can't".  I'm saying he shouldn't.  It's incorrect usage.  The squire of a knight is not called "Squire John" and hasn't been for the thousand year history of knighthood.  The apprentice of a guild master is not called "Apprentice Jane" and hasn't been for the several hundred year history of that term.  The page of a Baron is not called "Page George".  The lady-in-waiting of a Queen is not called "Lady-in-Waiting Diane".  

My real students don't call themselves "MBA student Chuck" either, and for the same reason.  The English language is structured the way it is.  The term "cadet", meaning a student to a White Scarf, is a common noun, not a title.

> As I was always told the term cadet came from Cyrano which had a cadet company. So I would say that it is in the spirit of where the term came from in the first place. 

That was a military rank, not indicating a specific learning relationship.  If we established a military organization with officers and common soldiers, with a rank for people who were trying to become officers, totally unrelated to any personal relationship, then a correct term to use would be "cadet".  In that theoretical world, "cadet" would be a rank, and most military ranks are also titles.

Meanwhile, in Ansteorra, "cadet" is not a rank, and not a title.  It is a common noun indicating a relationship with a White Scarf.

>Anyway as I said before. YMMV

Oh.  Are you under the misapprehension that I was offering a personal taste, such as a preference for artichokes?  This is an English language and historical usage question, and I'm reporting what I've discovered, not stating a preference.  My "mileage" is thirty years as a precedence herald, researching this and many similar issues. 

Robin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin

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