Use of titles

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Jan 4, 2023
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#1
Something that puzzles me a bit is why when the Senshi go to 30th Century Tokyo, everyone addresses everyone rather more formally than they normally do. I guess it must be the way French people behave when you forget about tu and just call everyone vous which I can say from experience with trying to learn French these days is bloody annoying to keep straight. My best guess is that it is meant to lessen confusion in temporal issues, like how weird it would be if Usagi was constantly adjusting her verb tenses to deal with Queen Serenity or being weirded out at how when the two meet they forget that the image of everyday they normally see everyday is mirrored and this doesn't happen when you see someone face to face.
 

Clow

Gurges Ater
Jul 29, 2012
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#2
They also used titles in the era of the Silver Millennium.

As for tu and vous,

tu = your best friend, family member (informal setting)

vous = your boss, a co-worker, a stranger (formal setting)
 
Jan 4, 2023
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#3
They also used titles in the era of the Silver Millennium.

As for tu and vous,

tu = your best friend, family member (informal setting)

vous = your boss, a co-worker, a stranger (formal setting)
I know what tu and vous are, it is just really annoying given that English doesn't use them and adds another thing to conjugate.
 
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Clow

Gurges Ater
Jul 29, 2012
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#4
I know what tu and vous are, it is just really annoying given that English doesn't use them and adds another thing to conjugate.
My advice is to try to learn the language organically. Watch films and TV shows.

And each day pick 2 verbs to conjugate, the ones that you like and use the most.
 

Memento

Stella Nova
Mar 8, 2012
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#5
In fairness, English does distinguish between the informal/singular thou and the formal/plural you, but most people no longer use thou unless they're trying to sound old-fashioned (or, mistakenly, hyper-formal).

Anyway, it makes perfect sense that Usagi and company would use more formal speech when visiting the future as they'd be addressing older versions of themselves who are dedicated to court life 24/7.
 
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sapphire91

Stella Nova
Jul 6, 2018
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#6
In Japan, and not only, it is considered normal and polite to be formal to someone older than you even by a month, it is a common joke in anime. I guess it extends to your own future self, plus we talking nobility. Certain stuff are very weird, my language also has the tu/ vous formal form of speech and it is very weird if you try to translate Sailor Moon in my language when they suddenly start calling their best friend princess and in my language it sounds weird to not use formal forms with a title like princess but at the same time it is very weird for them to suddenly start speaking to their best friend in vous form... It is very annoying. Sailor Moon is a nightmare to translate in language that is not English in general for various reasons :D
 

Rika-Chicchi

Staff member
Site Admin
May 7, 2009
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#7
In fairness, English does distinguish between the informal/singular thou and the formal/plural you, but most people no longer use thou unless they're trying to sound old-fashioned (or, mistakenly, hyper-formal).
Modern English is a relatively "lazy" language, & that's a reason why it's popularly used around the world. lol Old English is still used in the religious sector, tho, e.g. in prayers & lyrics (How Great Thou Art). :)
 
Jan 4, 2023
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#9
Fæder ure thu the eart on heofonum,
si thin nama gehalgod.
to becume thin rice,
gewurthe ğin willa,
on eorğan swa swa on heofonum.
urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us todæg,
and forgyf us ure gyltas,
swa swa we forgyfağ urum gyltendum.
and ne gelæd thu us on costnunge,
ac alys us of yfele sothlice.

That is what the Lords Prayer looks like in old English. If you know what to do with it you can work it out, but it's not easy. Fader is not hard. Remove the prefix ge from gehalgod and pronounce the remaining G like the Dutch or low Germans do, pronounce Rice like Reich, or realm, or bishopric, respell forgive and guilt, remove ge from gelead, respell evil from yfele, and so on. Granted, that was about 1400 years ago. From 900 years ago it is easier a bit. It helps if you happen to know Dutch, which I don't, or German, which I know only a small amount of. Google Unceft Beholding if you want a nice puzzle to try to work out what it says.

Christian wording often uses the informal like thou or tu when referring to the divine on purpose so as to make God feel more approachable.
 

Maraviollantes

Sailor Moon fan #1
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Jan 3, 2006
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#10
Fæder ure thu the eart on heofonum,
si thin nama gehalgod.
to becume thin rice,
gewurthe ğin willa,
on eorğan swa swa on heofonum.
urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us todæg,
and forgyf us ure gyltas,
swa swa we forgyfağ urum gyltendum.
and ne gelæd thu us on costnunge,
ac alys us of yfele sothlice.

That is what the Lords Prayer looks like in old English. If you know what to do with it you can work it out, but it's not easy. Fader is not hard. Remove the prefix ge from gehalgod and pronounce the remaining G like the Dutch or low Germans do, pronounce Rice like Reich, or realm, or bishopric, respell forgive and guilt, remove ge from gelead, respell evil from yfele, and so on. Granted, that was about 1400 years ago. From 900 years ago it is easier a bit. It helps if you happen to know Dutch, which I don't, or German, which I know only a small amount of. Google Unceft Beholding if you want a nice puzzle to try to work out what it says.

Christian wording often uses the informal like thou or tu when referring to the divine on purpose so as to make God feel more approachable.
How do you say "Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon" in old English?
 

Rika-Chicchi

Staff member
Site Admin
May 7, 2009
46,114
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#11
Old English is basically a completely different language. "Thou art" speak is early Modern English. :wink:
Fæder ure thu the eart on heofonum,
si thin nama gehalgod.
to becume thin rice,
gewurthe ğin willa,
on eorğan swa swa on heofonum.
urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us todæg,
and forgyf us ure gyltas,
swa swa we forgyfağ urum gyltendum.
and ne gelæd thu us on costnunge,
ac alys us of yfele sothlice.

That is what the Lords Prayer looks like in old English. If you know what to do with it you can work it out, but it's not easy. Fader is not hard. Remove the prefix ge from gehalgod and pronounce the remaining G like the Dutch or low Germans do, pronounce Rice like Reich, or realm, or bishopric, respell forgive and guilt, remove ge from gelead, respell evil from yfele, and so on. Granted, that was about 1400 years ago. From 900 years ago it is easier a bit. It helps if you happen to know Dutch, which I don't, or German, which I know only a small amount of. Google Unceft Beholding if you want a nice puzzle to try to work out what it says.

Christian wording often uses the informal like thou or tu when referring to the divine on purpose so as to make God feel more approachable.
Thank you for your enlightenment. :) So I amend my last post above as follows (shown in bold):
Old-fashioned English is still used in the religious sector, tho, e.g. in prayers & lyrics (How Great Thou Art). :)
 
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