Honorific

An honorific is a word or expression with connotations conveying esteem or respect when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes the term is used not quite correctly to refer to an honorary title. It is also often conflated with systems of honorific speech in linguistics, which are grammatical or morphological ways of encoding the relative social status of speakers.

Typically honorifics are used for second and third persons; use for first person is less common. Some languages have anti-honorific or despective first person forms (meaning something like "your most humble servant" or "this unworthy person") whose effect is to enhance the relative honor accorded a second or third person.

Modern English honorifics

The most common honorifics in modern English are usually placed immediately before the name of the subject. Honorifics which can be used of any adult of the appropriate sex include "Mr", "Mrs", "Miss", and "Ms". Other honorifics denote the honored person’s occupation, for instance "Doctor", "Captain", "Coach", Officer, "Father" (for a priest), or "Professor". Abbreviations of academic degrees, used after a person's name, may also be seen as a kind of honorific (e.g. "Jane Doe, Ph.D.")

Some honorifics act as complete replacements for a name, as "Sir" or "Ma'am", or "Your Honor". Subordinates will often use honorifics as punctuation before asking a superior a question or after responding to an order: "Yes, Sir" or even "Sir, yes Sir."

A judge is addressed as "Your Honor" when on the bench, and may be referred to as "His/Her Honor"; the plural form would be "Your Honors". Similarly, a monarch (ranking as a king or emperor) and his consort may be addressed or referred to as "Your/His/Her Majesty", "Their Majesties", etc. (but there is no customary honorific accorded to a female monarch's consort, as he is usually granted a specific style). Monarchs below kingly rank are addressed as "Your/His/Her Highness", the exact rank being indicated by an appropriate modifier, e.g. "His Serene Highness" for a member of a princely dynasty, or "Her Grand Ducal Highness" for a member of a family that reigns over a grand duchy. Verbs with these honorifics as subject are conjugated in the third person (e.g. "you are going" vs. "Your Honor is going" or "Her Royal Highness is going".)

In music, a distinguished conductor or virtuoso instrumentalist may be known as "Maestro".

In aviation, airline/charter pilots who serve as Pilot in command are usually addressed as "Captain" plus their full name or surname. This tradition is slowly diminishing in the United States and most EU countries. However, a lot of other countries, especially in Asia, fully adhere to this tradition and address airline pilots, military pilots and flight instructors exclusively as "Captain" even outside of the professional environment. In addition, such countries etiquette rules dictate to place this title on all the official letters and social invitations, business cards, identification documents, etc. In the United States, when addressing an airline/charter pilot, common etiquette does not require the title "Captain" to be printed on official letters or invitations before the addressee's full name. However, this is optional (akin to lawyer's "Esq" title at the end of the name) and may be used if considered appropriate, especially when addressing airline pilots with many years of experience.

Honorifics in other languages and cultures

Pakistan

Pakistan has a large number of honorific forms that may be used with or as a substitute for names. The most common honorifics in Pakistan are usually placed immediately before the name of the subject or immediately after the subject. There are many variations across Pakistan.

Prefix type

The traditional Urdu honorific in Pakistan for a male is the prefic "Mohtaram-". For example Syed Mohammad Jahangir would become Mohtaram Syed Mohammad Jahangir The traditional Urdu honorific in Pakistan for a female is the prefix "Mohtarma-". For example Shamim Ara would become Mohtarma Shamim Ara

Suffix type

The traditional Urdu honorific in Pakistan for a male is the suffix "-Sahab". For example, Syed Zaki Ahmed would become Syed Zaki Ahmed Sahab. The traditional Urdu honorific in Pakistan for a female is the suffix "-Sahiba"; for instance, Shamim Ara would become Shamim Ara Sahiba

Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome had Roman honorifics like that of Augustus which turned into titles over time.

Spanish

Spanish has a number of honorific forms that may be used with or as substitutes for names, such as señor 'Mr., Sir, gentleman', señora 'Mrs., Lady, ma'am, lady', señorita 'Miss, young lady', licenciado 'person with a bachelor's degree', maestro 'teacher, master mechanic, person with a master's degree', doctor 'doctor', etc.

Italy

Italian honorifics are usually limited to formal situations.

Turkey

Turkish honorifics generally follow the first name, especially if they refer to gender or particular social statuses (e.g. Name Bey (Mr.), Name Hanım (Ms.), Name Hoca (teacher or cleric)). Such honorifics are used both in formal and informal situations. A newer honorific is "Sayın", which precedes the surname or full name, and is not gender-specific. (e.g. Sayın Name Surname, or Sayın Surname). They are generally used in very formal situations.

India

Indian honorifics abound, covering formal and informal relationships for social, commercial, spiritual and generational links. Honorifics may be prefix, suffix or replacement types. There are many variations.

India: Prefix type

The most common honorifics in India are usually placed immediately before the name of the subject. Honorifics which can be used of any adult of the appropriate sex include "Sri" (also Romanised as Shri, acronym for Sriman) "Smt" (acronym for Srimati), and "Kum" (acronym for Kumari). In Tamil, Thiru (acronym of Thiruvalar for males) and Thirumathi (for females) are used.ygvuo

India: Replacement type

Some honorifics act as complete replacements for a name, as "Bhavān" or "Bhavatī".

For example, in Gujarati, for an uncle who is your mother's brother the replacement honorific "maama" (long "a" then short "a") is used and a male friend will often earn the suffix honorific of "bhai".

India: Suffix type

• The traditional Hindi honorific is the suffix -ji. For example M.K. Gandhi (The Mahatma) was often referred to as Gandhi-ji. (Hindi, like many languages, distinguishes between pronouns for persons older in age or status. The former is referred as "aap"; the latter is called "tum" [both substituting for 'you' in English]. Similar distinction exists for third person pronouns. When honorifics are attached in Hindi, the verb matches the plural case.)
• The traditional Kannada honorific is the suffix -avaru. For example Visveswariah was referred to as Visveswariah-avaru.
• The traditional Marathi honorific is the suffix -rao. For example Madhav Scindia was referred to as Madhav-rao.
• The traditional Tamil honorific is the suffix Avargal/Vaal. The Dalai Lama would become Dalai Lama Avargal.
• The traditional Telugu honorific is the suffix Garu. Thus the Potti Sriramulu would be Potti Sriramulu Garu.

China

During the ancient and imperial periods, Chinese honorifics varied greatly based on one's social status, but with the end of Imperial China, many of these distinctions fell out of colloquial use. Some honorifics remain in use today, especially in formal writings for the court and business setting. In fact, the ability to use honorifics in China is now seen as a display of social status. In other words, educated people tend to rigidly use honorifics as a display of their status.

In addition, the use of honorifics vary greatly across Chinese-speaking regions in the world. In Taiwan, for example, honorifics are more widely used in daily interactions. In Mainland China, however, honorifics tend to recede to formal settings.

Japan

Japanese honorifics are similar to English titles like "Mister" and "Miss"; but in Japanese, which has many honorifics, their use is mandatory in many formal and informal social situations. Japanese grammar as a whole tends to function on hierarchy—honorific stems are appended to verbs and some nouns, and in many cases one word may be exchanged for another word entirely with the same verb- or noun-meaning, but with different honorific connotations.

Java

Indonesia's Javanese majority ethnicity has many honorifics. I Gusti means His or Her Royal Majesty Bendara Raden Mas, Bendara Mas or the contraction "'ndoro" means Prince, flag-bearer "His Higness" Bapak and its contraction Pak mean: Sir, Mister or literally "Father".

Ibu and its contraction Bu mean: Madam, Ma'am,. Ms or Mrs, literally "Mother"

Raden Emas and its contraction Mas mean: Mr. among colleagues, friends, and others of slightly higher age or social status, literally Golden Son or Lord or Heir Apparent. Raden Emas Behi contracted to Mas Behi means 2nd Heir Apparent and is now obsolete. Raden Behi, contracted to Den Behi means Heir Apparent and is now obsolete. mbak yu and the more common mbak are derived from Surakarta court to address adolescent or marriage age unmarried women, but is now for women , with no age or marital status connotation

Eyang Puteri and its contraction Eyang mean: Grand Lady, literally grandmother.

Eyang Putera Kakung and its contraction Eyang Kakung mean: Grand Sir, literally grandfather.

Bapak Gede and its contraction Pak de mean: Grand Sir, literally big father or uncle o relative older than one's father .

Bapak Cilik and its contraction Pak lik mean: for a very familiar friend Sir, literally small father or a relative younger than one's Gaflakapus father- but very familiar.

Mbok is not an honorific and denotes a very low status older woman.

Bang or Bung is a somewhat outdated and egalitarian term to refer to a brotherhood among males. Bang is Betawi language for Mas.

Korean

Korean honorifics are similar to Japanese honorifics, their use is mandatory in many formal and informal social situations. Korean grammar as a whole tends to function on hierarchy—honorific stems are appended to verbs and some nouns, and in many cases one word may be exchanged for another word entirely with the same verb- or noun-meaning, but with different honorific connotations.

Malay

Main articles: Malay names and Malay styles and titles

Malay honorifics are the Malay language's complex system of titles and honorifics which is still extensively used in Malaysia and Brunei. Singapore, whose Malay royalty was abolished by the British colonial government in 1891, has adopted civic titles for its leaders.

Kenya, Tanzania

In areas of East Africa, where the Bantu language Kiswahili is spoken, "mzee" is frequently used for an elder to denote respect by younger speakers. It is used in direct conversation, and in referring to someone in the third person.

Examples

• Your Highness
• Your Honor
• Your Lordship
• Your Majesty
• Your Worship

Opposition

People who have a strong sense of egalitarianism, such as Quakers and certain socialists, eschew honorific titles. When addressing or referring to someone, they will use the person's name, an informal pronoun, or some other style implying social equality, such as "brother", "friend", or "comrade". This was also the practice in Revolutionary France which used Citoyen (Citizen) as the manner of address.

See also

Culturally specific usage

• Indian honorifics
• Canadian honorifics
• French honorifics
• Islamic honorifics
• Japanese honorifics
• Korean honorifics
• Kunya (Arabic)
• Honorifics in Judaism
• Thai royal and noble titles

General usage

• The Honourable
• Style (manner of address)
• Use of courtesy titles and honorifics in professional writing
• T-V distinction