S:r or S:reu?

[King John]

The Scúrzniâ Gramáticâ has a list of Talossan abbreviations, among which is:

S:reu Segñhôr (Mr.; note archaic abbreviation!)

So why do (some) people use "S:r" instead of "S:reu"? Where did this minimalist (and possibly heretical or subversive) "S:r" come from?

— John Woolley

[Hooligan]

Good question. I wonder how long it would take me to go through all my Witt posts and change my S:r's to S:reu's before the McCarthy hearings!

Seriously, though, this is an excellent question, and I hope some of the longer-term Talossans can shed some light on how and when the shortening occurred. Personally, I believe that, however it started, since the meaning is obvious to everyone, it is an abbreviation that merits approbation and integration into the ghleþ's official documented vocabulary.

Mhà

[Sir C. M. Siervicül]

I've only seen "S:r" used in real life before any of us came along. It's a natural contraction of "Segñhôr." I can only find one use of it before me (by King Robert I on this board), although I could swear I've seen it used elsewhere.

[King John]

I have a suggestion, not on the distinction between S:r and S:reu, but on the use of the honorific in general.

Talossan seems to lack a good way to say "Sir" to designate a Cnec'ht, as in "Sir Fritz". ("Domnul" should be reserved for the equivalent of the English "Lord", I think.) I propose that we establish a convention that "Segñhôr" used with a surname is "Mister", and with a first name is "Sir". So Fritz in Talossan would be S:reu Fritz, but Trotxâ would be S:reu Betiñéir instead of S:reu Trotxâ.

Make sense? If so, let's do it.

— John Woolley, UrN

[Sir C. M. Siervicül]

john said:

I have a suggestion, not on the distinction between S:r and S:reu, but on the use of the honorific in general.

Talossan seems to lack a good way to say "Sir" to designate a Cnec'ht, as in "Sir Fritz". ("Domnul" should be reserved for the equivalent of the English "Lord", I think.) I propose that we establish a convention that "Segñhôr" used with a surname is "Mister", and with a first name is "Sir". So Fritz in Talossan would be S:reu Fritz, but Trotxâ would be S:reu Bettinger instead of S:reu Trotxâ.

Make sense? If so, let's do it.

— John Woolley, UrN

I was thinking about the very same issue over the weekend. At first I thought "Domnul" seemed inappropriate for knights, because it is translated "Lord" which is mainly used for peers in England. But then I remembered that "Domnul" is a cognate of the Spanish "Don," which according to some sources appears to have been used by at least some classes of knights (caballeros) in Spain. Of course, in Spain "Señor" (also translated "Lord") is another honorific, but also another title of nobility ranking below baron. I haven't sorted all that out.

I like your proposal. As a further refinement I would suggest that although S:r has evolved as a less formal, more contemporary abbreviation of Segñhôr, S:r would never be appropriate for a Cnec'ht. Knights would always rate the semi-archaic S:reu.