[jbovlaste] Re: Emperor

["A. PIEKARSKI" <totus@rogers.com>]

>I agree that such a distinction between "empires" and "unions" should be made.
>*Maybe* {sorgugnai} (a nation extending several countires) could fit for 
>"empire".
>
>Furthermore, I think that if the ruler of japan chooses to call himself an 
>Emperor, that doesnt mean that he has to be an emporer in the lojban sense of 
>the word (ruler of an empire).
>Is "King of th Hill" a king? Is "Dr. Evil" a doctor? No. But they can still 
>choose to use those titles, devoid of their meaning. We shouldn't have to "bend" 
>
>the lojban word for emperor to fit Japan.

I have struggled with this.  But I don't think, in general, particularly if we 
are 

translating, that it's our role as lojbanists to decide if the 'Emperor' is 
really  
an Emperor.  On the other hand, if we are writing specifically about his/her 
role or 

responsibilty, then we may chose to call the Emperor of Japan a 'king', and 
Queen Victoria an 'empress.


>
>And BTW, isn't {noltrunau} and {noltruni'u} the preveiling words for king/queen? 
>
>(as used in Alice in Wonderland)

{noltru} could be the governor of a province - hence the need for the rafsi 
{-rai} as 

used in jbovlaste..

Often it doesn't really matter if the monarch is male or female.  As for Alice 
in 

Wonderland, I guess the level of rulership wasn't important for the translator, 
but maybe the gender was.

totus