The Scent of Sandalwood... ­


IntroductionRelationsReferencesSecretsDepth
NotablesAnalysisImageryRandomnessSite

Usage of Titles

In Oniisama E..., as part of "The Magnificent Three", Kaoru Orihara is given an alias. Students who attend Seiran know and often address her as "Kaoru-no-kimi". The use of "no-kimi" is a title useful to a bearer of armor for a knight; you add it to the person's given name.

Armigers of any stripe - bearers of naked Awards of Arms up to peers - could simply be addressed as "kimi" (if male) or "hime" (if female). The use of the title was common around a century ago as a term of respect. Another form of "-no-kimi" is to add "-gimi" to the person's given name. It literally means Lord or Lady.


Japanese Honorifics:

In Japanese and Chinese, the family name is written first and the given name is written second. Japanese people do not usually have middle names. Japanese names are usually used with a title. Titles are suffixes added to the name. Surnames are always used except when talking to friends or family. In Japan Kaoru would be "Orihara Kaoru" and if she were a real person, I would likely be calling her "Orihara-san".


Common suffixes:

☥ -chan (Used to express intimacy or as a diminutive to children or pets)
☥ -hime (Princess)
☥ -ko (Suffix for a woman's given name)
☥ -kun (Mr.; Ms. - Used when addressing younger people or colleagues)
☥ -sama (Mr.; Mrs.; Ms. - Formal)
☥ -san (Mr.; Mrs.; Ms.)
☥ -senpai (Senior; elder; predecessor)
☥ -sensei (Teacher; master; doctor; lawyers; politicians)
☥ -tachi (Plural indicator)


There are also words used to address people you have relation to or look up to.

☥ ane-ki (Older sister or older sister-like figure)
☥ ani-ki (Older brother or older brother-like figure - tough personality)
☥ ani-ue (Older brother or older brother-like figure - more refined term)
☥ oba (Middle-aged woman; aunt)
☥ obaa (Grandmother)
☥ oji (Middle-aged man; uncle)
☥ ojii (Grandfather)
☥ ojoo (Young girl; some else's daughter)
☥ okaa (Mother)
☥ onee (Older sister)
☥ onii (Older brother)
☥ otoo (Father)
☥ ouji-sama (Prince)
☥ oujo-sama (Princess)




Sources:
Sengokudaimyo.Com - Modes of Address: Kimi



Main Page
References