Use of SW words -- questions

Okay, this is just to raise questions. I usually have my own ideas, which I'll post, but they really are just questions.

After reading "Nubian this" and "Nubian that," I'm wondering where that comes from to mean "from Naboo." I know her ship was a Nubian, but I figured that was a brand name, like "Chevrolet." The impression I got from the movie was that "Naboo" functioned as the plural -- "The Naboo" as the people of Naboo, per Boss Nass, who certainly could have botched it -- and as the name of the planet (obviously), and as an adjective -- "one Naboo cruiser made it past the blockade." From this I would deduce that it is also the singular noun, eg, "Oh, he's Naboo." But I seem to be in the minority with this, so I was wondering where the "Nubian" business came from, and if there's a reason for it, other than the ship. It strikes my ear wrong because "Nubians" are an actual cultural group on Earth, so it jars me, like hearing someone on Coruscant being referred to as "The Babylonian Senator" or whatnot.

Second, Alderaanian or Alderaani? I've heard both and used both, but I'd like to get some kind of consistency in my own stuff, so does anyone know?

Does anyone know what a native of Tatooine is called?

Modes of address for Jedi, in a formal situation. The movies have masters being called "Master" or using a military rank (ie, General Kenobi), but knights who aren't masters yet? On Earth, knights were traditionally Sir Whatchamacallit, or whatever. Would that be carried over? Or Lady Whoozit, for the women?

Anyone else have any of these kinds of questions?

 

You are correct in assuming that it was a brand name. According ?Inside the Worlds of Star Wars Episode I,? Nubia is a planet in the Star Wars galaxy near Corellia, where the Nubian corporation manufactures both specialized parts for starships and starships themselves. They are apparently rather artistic about it, for more likely to create diplomatic vessels than warships. According to the EU book Balance Point the company is still alive and well twenty years after Endor. The only connection between Naboo and Nubia is that the Queens cruiser is of Nubian manufacture.
I think the proper plural of Naboo is Naboo. That Naboo, those Naboo, these Naboo, they?re all denizens of Naboo.

I prefer to say Alderaanian myself. I think of Alderaani as being slightly less fantasy, slightly more science fiction sounding. However, to the best of my knowledge there is no proper way set out in any official material.

I would call a native of Tatooine by a slang term of some sort rather than modify Tatooine. They would be called a sandfarmer or something similar, something derisive. Tatooine produces little other than scum and villainy (and of course the occasional Hero), and to paraphrase Luke, if there?s a bright center to the galaxy then Tatooine is the planet furthest from it. A name for a native to Tatooine might be synonymous with backwater criminal.

I think that Jedi replaces Sir and Lady as the appropriate title for a Jedi Knight. It has the advantage of being gender nonspecific and I think it sounds suitable. For example, Jedi Anakin Skywalker. The even more formal version of this would be to say Jedi Knight rather than Jedi. So Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker would be present at the most formal of occasions.

 

I agree with you on the Naboo business. I thought 'Nubian' was a brand name, as you put it. It could be the result a local dialect. Being realistic, not everyone on a planet is going to talk exactly the same. Perhaps the people that own the Naboo Shipyards (or whatever) prefer the word 'Nubian'.

I've only hear of Alderaanian, but its been a long time since I've read most of the books. As for Tatooine, it has such a diverse collection of people, I don't think they've formed into a singular mindset yet. Everyone probably considers themselves Human, or Huttese, or Gran, or Toydarian, or whatever species they happen to be. Not many people would consider themselves Tatooinian.

Perhaps we should just keep things simple and use the Japanese method. Naboo-jin, Tatooine-jin, Coruscant-jin. Though, I don't think most people in the GFFA put much emphasis on what planet they are from.

 

Have to go with the Nubian being a brand name. I've never liked calling those from Naboo 'Nubian' since even Boss Nass distinguishes the human population of the planet from the Gungans that way. I would make the assumption (and yeah, I know about those) that anyone from Naboo is called a Naboo.

As for Alderaan, I don't remember specifically anyone saying something like "Oh, you're Alderaanian!" or "Oh, you're Alderaani!" in any of the canon literature. Unless you go to starwars.com and ask you probably won't come up with a definitive answer here since we're all just making educated guesses.

As for Tatooine, I agree they most likely don't have a single planetary identity. Moisture farming comes to mind as a common livelihood, but 'a more wretched hive of scum and villany' is probably more true to form. There actually seems to be a distinct class consciousness, even from ANH's time. The isolated, more 'respectable' but poor and very private moisture farmers and the city dwellers, the types one sees around space ports... smugglers, pirates, and generally not nice folks. Not the sort of population that engenders any sort of cohesive stance.

I don't remember any of the Jedi Knights being addressed as Sir or Lady so I'd have to go with either Jedi or Knight So-and-So. This might be especially important in nonhuman species since the average GFFA member might not be able to distinguish whether the Jedi in question's gender.

 

I admit, I just avoid it by not addressing Jedi knights who aren't masters in a formal way. I think I prefer Sir Obi-Wan to Knight Obi-Wan, but there's really not anything to indicate one way or another.

It surprises me that there's a world called "Nubia," but then again, if something can be a "sitting duck," I guess it's possible to just have an Earth word around...

 

I think that proper way to address a Jedi Knight who's not a master would be either "Jedi Whatevername" or "Knight Whatevername" (for example, in "Dark Force Rising", Jedi Master Joruus C'Baoth calls Luke "Jedi Skywalker"). I believe both "Jedi" and "Knight" are proper titles. And I think that "Jedi" is more used when you don't know whether the Jedi is a Knight or a Master. And Padawans are called simply "Padawan Whatevername".

 

There?s precedent for Earth names for planets in Star Wars. Tatawin, in Tunisia (where Star Wars was filmed), sounds suspiciously like Tatooine. Coruscant is an adaptation of the word coruscate, which means glittering.

 

I would have to go with brand-name. The Nubian Dynasty was a period in ancient Egypt, of course. Naboo and Naboo is like deer and deer and fish and fish.

I use Tatooin as the adjective form of Tatooine.

What about Coruscantians?

And is Alderaan-native called an Alderaani or Alderaanian?

Are we obsessed or what?

 

I'd say... definitely obsessed.

And I guess I'm just never going to like the sound of "Jedi Whatsis" or "Knight Whoever." It feels wrong to me. So I'll just continue to avoid it. At any rate, I put the question in to SW.com.

I think "Coruscantian" works all right. Sounds rawther cultured, and all that.

I guess for Tatooine, residents probably wouldn't call themselves anything. And probably the Senate and formal bodies would just call them, "residents of the world of Tatooine..."

 

I always thought calling someone "Knight Whatsis" was stuffy, formal, and awkward. But it's something the Council and outsiders might use when speaking formally.

Yes, I am obsessed. I'm sitting in a computer bank at Chicago, talking about SW when I should be eating. But darn proud of it.

 

It doesn't sound formal to me, particularly; it just doesn't sound like a title -- like "Stockbroker Smith" or "Librarian Jones." Of course, for years, "Nurse Johnson" was perfectly normal and "Dr. Smyth" still is proper (though to me, "Jedi So-and-so" sounds more like "Physician So-and-so"...)

 

More about the Nubian -
in TPM, when Qui-Gon says the ship is a J type 327 Nubian, Watto replies, "Ah, yes, Nubian, we've got lots of that."

It's seems pretty unlikely that if 'Nubian' refered only to the planet, they'd have lots of it in a small junk shop in the outer rim.

The title 'Jedi' sounds right to me, kind of ties in with the title 'Darth' - supposedly an abbreviation of Dark Lord of the Sith.

 

The title 'Jedi' sounds right to me, kind of ties in with the title 'Darth' - supposedly an abbreviation of Dark Lord of the Sith.

Exactly.




Nubia is the name of the planet, and the Nubian corperation on the planet builds ships. Just like Corellia is a planet, and the Corellian Shipyards builds ships.

 

To be safe, I usually say "from Tatooine," although naitves of Dantooine are called Dantari. Tatari just sounds weird, though.

I think I remember reading about Luke in some formal event being addressed as "Jedi Skywalker." but for face-to-face conversation, you'd just say "Mr. Skywalker"

People from Alderaan are Alderaanian, I'm sure. I've never heard a canon author say "Alderaani."

Does Coruscant even have any natives? It's too multicultural to tell ?

 

Do they use Mr. and Mrs.? Or Miss, for that matter? ("Master," of course, is used, but means something other than a young man under the age at which he should be called "Mr.") I don't remember anyone in canon being addressed that way. Is anyone in EU addressed as such? Then again, they all had military rank (Captain Solo, Baron and later General Calrissian) or other sorts of titles (eg, Princess Leia or Senator Organa).

With Luke, I just have folks call him "Commander Skywalker." I gave Anakin a rank just to avoid the issue when I brought him in for an encore and needed a droid to address him. (Of course, on the latter, there's some legitimate reason not to address him as a Jedi anyway...)

 

Perhaps we should call them Atari? Heehee, bad 80's joke.

 

Well, the natives of Tatooine are actually only Jawas and Sandpeople... all the other people and aliens "emigrated" there... so to speak.

And I think that title "Jedi Whatsis" sounds proper enough to me.

 

There are Masters, Mistresses, Lords, Ladies, Sirs... but no ma'am or madam!

sometimes just saying the full name is enough, like "We are indebted to you for your bravery, Obi-Wan Kenobi..."

 

Another question. Do they call girls Masters too? I remember my first detention was for throwing my greek book at a guy's head and when he said "oh, great master of the universe" to mock me, I said, "no, nik, I"m your mistress!" Anyway, random story aside, is there gender discrimination in the GFFA?

 

Well, "Mistress" unfortunately has some connotations different from "Master." I believe the female masters on the Council are written about as "Master Adi Gallia" and "Master Depa Billaba," and presumably "Master Yaddle," though I've never seen that one...

 

Well Gandolf's got it there with the Nubia thing. As for the Alderaanian and Alderaani, just take your pick for whichever you like, I don't recall people ever using those terms before.

As for the Jedi thing, I prefer Knight "Whatever to" to Jedi "Whatever" But Luke's been called Jedi Skywalker quite a few times in his life. Though why not just add the title in after the person's name as a PH.D? I sort of recall Luke calling himself "I am Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight."-in ROTJ. He treated it more like some degree he earned from University (and if you ponder on that for a while more you realize that it is closer to a PH.D).

And as far as I know, the SW universe tends to use the French version of "Mr." and "Mrs." since Dash Rendar from SOTE was called M. Rendar.

 

He treated it more like some degree he earned from University (and if you ponder on that for a while more you realize that it is closer to a PH.D).

Yeah, that's what I thought. That's why I was kind of looking for the equivalent of "Dr." or "Professor" (though I understand that technically, it should be Miss So-and-so, PhD) to go in front of the name. The occasion in question was an interrogation during his father's trial in the Penitent -- it didn't seem right for the prosecutor to just call him "Luke," since it was a rather chilly occasion, and one that would require some kind of respectful address. No other title came to mind (I just think "Jedi" and "Knight" sound bad, whether used by EU or fanfic authors), so I used the military rank, but I was hoping that for future stories with non-standard military Jedi, there would be a better way to do it.

French, eh? That's an interesting notion...

 

Imagine Threepio calling: "Monsieur Solo, Mademoiselle Leia!" ::cracks up at the thought::

And you made an interesting point, Ish. Master or Mistress? ? I truly don't know. I'd personally go for Master - it's a title after all. You don't say "Proffessorress" or "Doctress"...

 

Good questions to bring up; I'm curious whether everyone comes to a consensus.

Though I have to laugh; read the TV Guide thing re: George Lucas, where the author mentioned SW fans discussing the GFFA with talmudic fervor! I'd say this thread is a case in point!

Some of us prefer Mistress; just old-fashioned. Anyone mentions spike heels and corsets will learn, to their peril, how effective a lightsaber can be...

 

Talmudic fervor, eh? Heh... This whole site tends to bring a whole new meaning to that phrase.

As for addressing the common folk in the GFFA, I don't know that GL's made any comment on that. I like Andre Norton's terms: For women, Fem, for noblewomen, Gentle Fem, for men, Hom, and noblemen, Noble Hom (at least that's what I remember from her science fiction novels, though her fantasy tends to be more medieval with Sir and Lady, etc.).