# Bit typical of the whole space opera thing, but...



## zorcarepublic (May 22, 2007)

...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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## j d worthington (May 22, 2007)

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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## iansales (May 22, 2007)

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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## HardScienceFan (May 22, 2007)

zorcarepublic said:


> ...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.
> 
> ...


have you considered :
count?
Viceroy?
Pretender to the Throne?
The artist formerly known as Prince?


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## iansales (May 22, 2007)

HardScienceFan said:


> 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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## Winters_Sorrow (May 22, 2007)

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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## chrispenycate (May 22, 2007)

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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## iansales (May 22, 2007)

chrispenycate said:


> 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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## The Ace (May 22, 2007)

Funny that, the wife of an earl is still a countess.


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## iansales (May 22, 2007)

No one ever said the peerage was logical


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## Who's Wee Dug (May 23, 2007)

Winters_Sorrow said:


> 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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## Pyan (May 23, 2007)

What about Knights in White Satin (never reaching the end)?


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## Somni (May 25, 2007)

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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## Joel007 (May 25, 2007)

the pedants are revolting!


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