"Na-baron" title

[driftingcloud]

I'm wondering if the "Na-Baron" title used by Frank Herbert is a fabricated title, or if the prefix "Na-" has some meaning in some contemporary earth language. I always understood the meaning in the text, but I never knew if it was a real thing or if he invented it. I read it as "Almost Baron" and I was going to use it in an email I was writing but in a different context, "almost professor" but wasn't sure if I would actually be writing something that was part of the English language.

Anyone know more?

[MrFlibble]

"Na" is a Russian preposition/prefix which means "on". The noun structure, however, - "na" + position or title, meaning 'soon to be', - does not exist in Russian.

There is also a Russian word naslednik, meaning 'heir', with the same prefix. E.g. naslednik barona 'heir to the baron'.

[SandChigger]

From "The Terminology of the Imperium":

Na-: a prefix meaning "nominated" or "next in line." Thus: na-Baron means heir apparent to a barony.

Could be the Russian word, since Galach is "hybrid Inglo-Slavic". Or it could just be a whittling down of "nominated" [pron. NAH-mi-NAY-tuhd].

(I haven't seen a lot of evidence that FH consulted a Russian dictionary much in coming up with Galach terms.)

[MrFlibble]

(I haven't seen a lot of evidence that FH consulted a Russian dictionary much in coming up with Galach terms.)

Well, he had that "ima trava okolo" passage as a part of a Fremen rite. And that is clearly (somewhat broken) Russian (or maybe other Slavic language).

[SandChigger]

But that's REALLY weird when you think about it, since the Fremen use a lot of Arabic words and terminology. ???

[MrFlibble]

There's also an item in a Fremen woman's garb called a nezhoni scarf, the word seemingly derived from the Slavic root zhen-/zhon- 'woman, wife' (which is the same as in Latin genus, for example). Curiously, however, the ne- prefix means negation, so nezhoni should actually mean something which is not related to womanhood.

[SandChigger]

Frank was a mystery...wrapped within an enigma...and smothered in special sauce. ;D

[Ikonicre]

In dutch 'na' means after; after the fact; following..

na-baron could in said context mean 'after'-baron, the direct heir of a baron

One of the few terms that have a distinct dutch ring to it in the duniverse; another one would be the Landsraad.

[SparrowsOfDune]

I think the Slavic Language FH was familiar with was Serbian. Maybe some of the first Zensunnis were Bosnians?

[SandChigger]

I think the Slavic Language FH was familiar with was Serbian. Maybe some of the first Zensunnis were Bosnians?

In meta-Duniverse=real-world terms, FH evidently used a Serbian or Croatian textbook or other publication as a source for his Chakobsa words and phrases.

IN-universe, any similarity between those Slavic languages and Chakobsa is pure coincidence, and speculation such as your "Bosnians = first Zensunnis" is stupid.