On Fri, 16 Jun 2006, Howard Brazee wrote: > Historically, titles meant more than one might think. > > Even evidence of being gentry counted. > > I believe that Beethoven almost won a court case (custody?) until the > court discovered that his "van" didn't mean the same "von" that the > court thought it meant. With a lower rank, he didn't have as many rights. As with the ecclesiastical courts. I've been wondering if the Easterners use the Dragaeran legal system, say over the right to sell imperial corn in South A. One might be able to resolve one's side of Jarndyce v. Jarndyce by buying a title...