Naval Ranks

As you know, I'm working on a roleplay setting in which the local variety of Latin is preferred to English. Thus, all military ranks are to be written, and abbreviated in, Latin. However, Nauarkus (Captain) is the only naval rank for which I've been able to get a decent translation. The ranks that remain in question from lowest to highest are Ensign, Corporal, Petty Officer, Chief Petty Officer, Command Chief Petty Officer, Cadet, Lieutenant, Commander, Commodore, and Admiral. How would one translate those ranks? If no adequate Latin translation exists, would the modern Italian translation suffice?
 

effi

New Member

Location:
Finnia
Here are some definitions, according to my dictionary.

corporal decurio
petty officer (sergeant) centuriae instructor
cadet optio
ensign signifer
admiral praefectus classis

Don't have the rest, sorry.
 

Andy

Civis Illustris

  • Civis Illustris

Location:
Urbs Panamae
The problem is that in the time of the Romans, the navy wasn't as institutionalised as it is nowadays, so many of these titles did not exist. Commodore, for instance, comes from the French commandeur or commander. Admiral comes from the Arabic amir or military leader.

In the Roman navy, the ranks went from the lowly remiges or rowers and the milites who staffed the ship. The ship was driven by a gubernator, who was the captain of a ship. The nauarchus was the leader of a fleet, making that rank comparable to the modern day admiral.
 
Thanks for the help thus far.

Here's the current rank structure (Italian marked with an addition sign (+)):
Potuit Nauta (PN) (Able Seaman)
Dekurio (DKR) (Corporal)
Sottuffikialé (STF)+ (Petty Officer)
Kapó Sottuffikialé (KS)+ (Chief Petty Officer)
Kapó di Komandó Sottuffikialé (KKS)+ (Command Chief Petty Officer)
Optio (OPT) (Cadet) (Academy Students)
Tenenté (TN)+ (Lieutenant)
Dux (D) (Commander)
Gubernátor (GUB) (Captain)
Légátus (LT) (Brigadier)
Nauarkus (NAU) (Admiral)

Would Légátus (lieutenant, second in command) or Dux Kohortis (Brigadier General) be a better choice for a rank equivalent to the U.S. Navy's Commodore? The Salakian Starfleet doesn't have ranks equivalent to Rear Admiral and Vice Admiral thereby making that rank the second in command of the branch.
 
As of now the ranks are as follows:

OR-1: Gregárius míles (GM) (Private)
OR-3: Dekurio (DEK) (Corporal)
OR-5: Kenturió (KEN) (Sergeant)
OR-7: Kenturió signifer (KS) (First Sergeant)
OR-9: Dux kenturió (DK) (Sergeant Major)
Students: Optio (OPT) (Cadet)
OF-1: Signifer (SIG) (Ensign)
OF-3: Dux (D) (Commander)
OF-5: Gubernátor (GUB) (Captain)
OF-7: Légátus (LT) (Leiutenant)
OF-9: Nauarkus (NAU) (Admiral)

Currently, the translation I'm using for Sergeant Major (Dux kenturió) has a noun-noun construction, similar to Gregárius míles for Private. However, I could have sworn I saw a direct translation for, at least, one Sergeant's rank here a while ago. Yet, I have been unable to find that translation recently. In the absence of that translation—which may have been for Staff Sergeant, what's a decent way of saying "commander of Sergeants"?
 

scrabulista

Consul

  • Consul

Location:
Tennessee
Nauta is masculine, Cinefactus...
and k is rare...where did final tiger get Kenturio in preference to Centurio?
 
As of now the ranks are as follows:

OR-1: Míles gregárius (MG) (Private)
OR-3: Kenturió (KEN) (Corporal)
OR-5: Dekurio (DEK) (Sergeant)
OR-7: Dekurio signifer (DS) (First Sergeant)
OR-9: Dekurio primus (DP) (Sergeant Major)
Students: Optio (OPT) (Cadet)
OF-1: Signifer (SIG) (Ensign)
OF-3: Dux (D) (Commander)
OF-5: Gubernátor (GUB) (Captain)
OF-7: Légátus (LT) (Lieutenant)
OF-9: Nauarkus (NAU) (Admiral)

It turns out that decurio is the translation for staff sergeant. Thus, I've swapped it to the non-commissioned ranks. Is dekurio primus or primus dekurio the correct word order for the OR-9-equivalent rank?
 
Please note Military Rank Descriptors and Model/Pattern (relating to weapons are absent from the list because neither topic has a reply and I've decided on my terminology. Thus, those topics have been rendered moot.

# (1st, 2nd, etc.) Infantry Division, Pay grade/Rank code, Imperial Uniformed Police, Imperial Salakian Military and branches thereof, Martial (Highest Military Rank)/Empress, Legion Discussion, and Military Formation
 
Is Stipendium Náuále Augusti the correct translation of Her Imperial Majesty's Naval Service since stipendium is neuter by default?
 
Top