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Names of Ranks
Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 5:25 pm
by Anonymous
I remember a question about how the ranks were named and there were no response. So I asked a friend the question and this is what he sends, so I think I will post it. He says take it all with a grain of salt so I do.
Lieutenant started as a designation and became a rank through usage. It is from the medieval French for a tenancy representative, or one who stands in place of the tenant (in locum tenens, or in lieu of tenant). The tenant (tenere) is a holder of a foef, land, town, whatever, from a granting hierarch. Lieutenancy had administrative, judicial, and social implications, but since a ‘tenant’ had military obligations, lieutenancy came along for the ride.
Captain also started as a designation and became a rank through usage. A captain (caput, capito) is the ‘head’ of a military unit. Back in the day, there were Kings, and Captains, and little between. Back in the day, basic military units were organized as ‘Companys’ (c.f. John Hawkwood), so the term stuck for the head of a basic military unit.
Major also started as a designation and became a rank through usage. Major (maior), is just latin for greater. So a maior (major) caput (captain) was just some kind of greater officer put over more than one company. It caught on.
Colonel also started as a designation and became a rank through usage. Maybe Italian , maybe latin for the leader of a portion of a force (colonnello, columnellus), but wasn’t used much till the condottieri period. It, too, caught on, and evolved, and took on its proprietary character in maybe the mid-late 16th century?
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Thu May 28, 2009 6:37 pm
by marky
interesting. gotta love stories of how things came to be.
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 4:22 pm
by Anonymous
ORIGINAL: marky
interesting. gotta love stories of how things came to be.
I do too and there is much more if I can post if you want.
MO
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 4:30 pm
by Japan
ORIGINAL: Osterhaut
ORIGINAL: marky
interesting. gotta love stories of how things came to be.
I do too and there is much more if I can post if you want.
MO
It is not good if people in general would know how things came to be, and why.. We should learn to appreciate factors like "narrow minded" and "ignorance" as they in general have a stabilizing factor on the world, the best one can do is to know as little as possible about things, I know it sounds strange but it is correct and it counts for regardless of were in the world you live. You see, with knowledge comes responsibility, and then things gets complicated.
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 4:36 pm
by castor troy
ORIGINAL: Japan
ORIGINAL: Osterhaut
ORIGINAL: marky
interesting. gotta love stories of how things came to be.
I do too and there is much more if I can post if you want.
MO
It is not good if people in general would know how things came to be, and why.. We should learn to appreciate factors like "narrow minded" and "ignorance" as they in general have a stabilizing factor on the world, the best one can do is to know as little as possible about things, I know it sounds strange but it is correct and it counts for regardless of were in the world you live. You see, with knowledge comes responsibility, and then things gets complicated.
I´m unsure about what you are intending to tell us... [&:]
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 5:04 pm
by Anonymous
ORIGINAL: castor troy
ORIGINAL: Japan
ORIGINAL: Osterhaut
I do too and there is much more if I can post if you want.
MO
It is not good if people in general would know how things came to be, and why.. We should learn to appreciate factors like "narrow minded" and "ignorance" as they in general have a stabilizing factor on the world, the best one can do is to know as little as possible about things, I know it sounds strange but it is correct and it counts for regardless of were in the world you live. You see, with knowledge comes responsibility, and then things gets complicated.
I´m unsure about what you are intending to tell us... [&:]
I do not know either. all this form somebody wh claims he does not know english and claims to be from scandinavia, it makes you wonder.
all i have is some more text about how army captains are different from navy captains and how admirals were named and how rear and vice admirals come to be.
MO
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 5:50 pm
by anarchyintheuk
I'm safe . . . I guess. I know very little about a vast number of subjects.
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 7:22 pm
by Japan
Na, the point was only that If people knew to much about everything I don't think they would sleep so good in the night.
My statement was taken from a book i just read, it is about Consumers, Information and Media, and the basic idea is that
The consumer don't need to know the details about the product he consumes, if he knows 'how' and 'by who' ... then he might stop consuming it.
The French has a word for it, but I can never remember it.
Of course this however does not apply to me hihi, or to similar maniacs
as i realize that someone must suffer so that I can enjoy life and low prices ^^ ... but I think most people prefer to not know the details..
HeHe a little off topic there, but anyway was intended as a replay to him.. The other post was one intended as sort of funny, but i guess most missed the point.
-
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 7:25 pm
by DuckofTindalos
[8|]
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 8:25 pm
by Anonymous
Thats alright Terminus, japan is just a stupid troll .
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 8:34 pm
by Charbroiled
ORIGINAL: anarchyintheuk
I'm safe . . . I guess. I know very little about a vast number of subjects.
I'm safe also. My hard drive capacity filled up a long time ago. Now, if I learn something new, I have to forget something else. [;)]
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Fri May 29, 2009 8:59 pm
by Japan
ORIGINAL: Osterhaut
Thats alright Terminus, japan is just a stupid troll .
Hello Osterhaut, why do you go around and call me for Stupid ?
If you have a problem with anything, then I recommend you to send me a PM or a E-mail and I will be more then happy to debate with you any time, but as your a new member here, I would not recommend you to start your carrier here by calling other members for stupid and those kind of childish things. We are a community here with a lot of different people, we all come from different parts of the world, some future away then others, and we are here all because we like Matrix Games and WITP / AE, we do have discussions off topic from time to time, and we do have different perspective on things, but there is no reason to call any specific individual for childish names, there are a few here who do those things, but no reason you should want to join them (they are not exactly the brightest club you could join), if you dislike anyone just hit the Green Button.
Welcome to the forum btw.
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 7:02 am
by DuckofTindalos
ORIGINAL: Osterhaut
Thats alright Terminus, japan is just a stupid troll .
I know that, but those last few posts were nonsense, even by his standards.
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 7:48 am
by TulliusDetritus
"interesting. gotta love stories of how things came to be" -- Marky
Well, it is actually called "etymology" [8D]
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 8:46 am
by Japan
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:00 am
by Cerix
Japan I have read several of your posts and you should not care about them, they are kids!
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:08 am
by Japan
ORIGINAL: Cerix
Japan I have read several of your posts and you should not care about them, they are kids!
Welcome to our forum Cerix, and yes I know but I anyway try to have a serious discussion with them.
At some point in life they will realize that name calling and childish behavior is immature, and when they reach that level I will be here with my intellect ready to receive them. [;)]
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 9:23 am
by DuckofTindalos
[8|][>:]
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 11:40 am
by Feinder
And a Lt. General outranks a Maj. General...
Things that make you go hm....
[;)]
-F-
RE: Names of Ranks
Posted: Sat May 30, 2009 11:42 am
by Historiker
Welcome to our forum Cerix, and yes I know but I anyway try to have a serious discussion with them.
At some point in life they will realize that name calling and childish behavior is immature, and when they reach that level I will be here with my intellect ready to receive them.
Both sides behave like kids again and again. The only big difference is, that Terminus has a well-founded knowledge...