TenchiMP@gate1.tomatoweb.com writes:
>somethings been on my mind...i notice in a lot of subs, the characters
>attach a -sama or 
>-chan at the end of peoples names....what does that mean? is it some kind
>of formality or something? but if it is then why do friends say it to
>eachother?...

>sorry about the kinda lame question, but its been kinda bugging me for a
>while now, and i decided i might as well ask

Hardly lame. I stole a few postings from Usenet and here, without
permission is the result. BTW, to get this on topic, does anyone have
a list of the honorifics that characters use towards each other in
the Tenchi Muyo universe?

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> From: schimmel@red.seas.upenn.edu (Scott Schimmel)
Subject: Japanese Honorifics?

Here's a brief and probably inadequate guide to the honorifics and
terms of address:

-san:  A polite honorific, roughly equivalent to the English "Mr." or
"Mrs./Ms."  Pretty much the "default" honorific.  When used with a
first name instead of a family name, it indicates a closer but still
respectful relationship.

-kun:  Somewhat less polite than "-san."  Often applied toward boys
from late childhood through college by other students, both male and
female (but not by younger students).  Also sometimes applied to a
worker by his superior, and sometimes used in this sense towards
females as well.

-chan:  A diminuitive, applied to cute animals, young children of
either gender, or girls through high-school age.  Two people who are
very close may apply it toward each other, and childhood friends
sometimes continue to apply it long past adolescence.

-sama:  A very respectful form of address that indicates devotion and
a type of love.  Could be translated as "Lord/Lady" in some cases,
"dearest" or "beloved" in others.

-dono:  A very respectful form of address, similar to "-sama," but it
doesn't indicate the same sort of love.  It does still show devotion.

-sensei:  A respectful form of address, applied to teachers, doctors,
and people who are renowned experts in their field.  (A master painter
or craftsman could be called "sensei.")  Could be used by itself
instead of with the person's name.

-sempai:  A respectful form of address applied to an older student, or
an older member of the same organization or company; a mentor figure,
in some cases.  Like "sensei," it can be used as a stand-alone form of
address.

(no honorific):  When used with a family name, this is an informal but
not necessarily impolite form of address.  Classmates or aquaintances
might address each other in this way; older students might apply this
to younger students; even people who are fairly close might continue
to use this form of address.  When used with a first name, however, it
is an extremely familiar form of address.  Older family members would
address younger ones (or ones the same age) this way, but if it was
used between two people who were not related, it would mean the two
were -very- close.  (Or one of them is intentionally being rude. ^_^)

Family terms (all of these can stand alone as modes of address):

-(o)ji(i)(chan/san/sama):  "Uncle" or (with the long vowel)
"grandfather."  The ending determines how polite this term is.  It's
also used to address unrelated older men whose name isn't known to the
speaker.  It's politer with the "o" than without.

-(o)ba(a)(chan/san/sama):  "Aunt" or (with the long vowel)
"grandmother."  The female equivalent to the above.

-(o)tou(chan/san/sama):  "Father."

-(o)kaa(chan/san/sama):  "Mother."

-(o)nii(chan/san/sama):  "Older brother."  It's also used (mostly by
preadolescents) to address older men (but younger than 30-35) whose
name isn't known to the speaker.

-(o)nee(chan/san/sama):  "Older sister."  The female equivalent of the
above.

Younger family members are usually addressed by personal name alone.

> From: btomlin@aol.com (Bruce Tomlin)

Special case: ore-sama is a rather ego-inflated way to refer to oneself.  
For example, Wario (yes, from the Nintendo games) refers to himself as 
ore-sama.

-chama:  chan is a "cute-ified" form of san, and chama is a cute-ified 
form of sama.  In anime I've mostly seen it used by little kids to their 
uncles.  (oji-chama)

> -dono:  A very respectful form of address, similar to "-sama," but it
> doesn't indicate the same sort of love.  It does still show devotion.

Actually, -dono is more like "comrade".  Samurai refer to each other as 
-dono.  And I've never seen it used by someone who couldn't be called 
-dono in return.

> -sensei:  A respectful form of address, applied to teachers, doctors,
> and people who are renowned experts in their field.  (A master painter
> or craftsman could be called "sensei.")  Could be used by itself
> instead of with the person's name.

Also doctors and manga-ka are sensei.

>-sempai:  A respectful form of address applied to an older student, or
>an older member of the same organization or company; a mentor figure,
>in some cases.  Like "sensei," it can be used as a stand-alone form of
>address.

Sempai means "one who has gone before".  Upperclassmen in a school are the 
prototypical example.

-kou:  this kanji can mean prince, or it can mean public.  The only cases 
I've seen this have been "inu-kou" (roughly meaning "doggie"), and 
"shujinkou" meaning "master".  (shujin by itself also means "master", but 
-kou makes it seem more formal or polite)

(none):  Implies familiarity, especially with the first name only.  Using 
the last name with no honorific is called "yobisute".

> From: schimmel@blue.seas.upenn.edu (Scott Schimmel)

: Special case: ore-sama is a rather ego-inflated way to refer to oneself.  
: For example, Wario (yes, from the Nintendo games) refers to himself as 
: ore-sama.

Well, actually, this is true for many of the honorifics.  One just
doesn't use them to refer to oneself.  Using "-san" for oneself would
be arrogant; "-sama" for oneself incredibly arrogant.

I've occasionally heard younger girls refer to themselves with their
names plus "-chan," though.

: Sempai means "one who has gone before".  Upperclassmen in a school
: are the prototypical example.

Yes, but it's very easy to pick up the misconception that -sempai is
only used to refer to an older student.  It's not; it can refer to an
older worker at the same company/office, etc.



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