Terms for Royalty


Why are there so many terms for royalty? And I'm talking about generic words
like "king", "queen", etc. I seem to remember from my studies that certain
terminology was used specifically for Japanese royalty, and other terms were
used for foreign royalty of the same status/rank. I also seem to remember
hearing that certain terms were related to religion/Buddhism, while others
weren't.

From what I understand about "kings" and "emperors", historically there used
to be a great distinction: kings ruled kingdoms, which were smaller
territories inside of an empire, all of which was (obviously) ruled by the
emperor. However, in the present day, I don't think there is such a
distinction to most people, as governments have changed greatly over the ages.
So the nuances between the terms for "king" and "emperor" (likewise, with
"queen" and "empress") seem to overlap a lot.

Here are many of the terms I've used/seen/found for common royalty

> **King** \- [王(様)]{おう(さま)}、[国王]{こく・おう}、[君主]{くん・しゅ}、[大王]{だい・おう} 、[大君]{たい・くん}  
>  **Emperor** \- [帝]{みかど}、[皇帝]{こう・てい}、[帝王]{てい・おう}、[大帝]{たい・てい}
> 、[天子]{てん・し}（様）、[天皇]{てん・のう}、[天王]{てん・のう}  
>  
>  **Queen** \- [女王]{じょ・おう}、 ** _[王妃]{おう・ひ}_** ？、 ** _[女帝]{じょ・てい}_** ？  
>  **Empress** \-
> [皇后]{こう・ごう}、[皇太后]{こう・たい・ごう}、[太皇太后]{たい・こう・たい・ごう}、[后]{きさき}、[妃]{きさき}、 **
> _[王妃]{おう・ひ}_** 、 ** _[女帝]{じょ・てい}_**  
>  
>  **Prince** \- [王子]{おう・じ}、[皇子]{おう・じ}、[皇太子]{こう・たい・し}、[親王]{しん・のう}  
>  **Princess** \- [王女]{おう・じょ}、[皇女]{おう・じょ}、[妃]{ひ} 、 ** _[王妃]{おう・ひ}_**
> 、[親王妃]{しん・のう・ひ}、[内親王]{ない・しん・のう}、[王子妃]{おう・じ・ひ}、[皇太子妃]{こう・たい・し・ひ}、[妃殿下]{ひ・でん・か}、[大君女]{おお・きみ・おんな}、（お）[姫]{ひめ}（様）、[姫御子]{ひめ・み・こ}

Then there are the suffixes [陛下]{へい・か} (Majesty) and [殿下]{でん・か}
(Highness)...that you can add to certain ones, but not to all apparently.

**Questions**

  1. Why are there so many terms for these generic words?
  2. If my assumptions from above are correct, which ones are for Japanese royalty and which ones are for foreign royalty?
  3. " " " ", which ones are religious terms and which are "regular"?
  4. What are the rules for being able to apply 陛下 or 殿下?

Can someone clear up this mess?




> Why are there so many terms for these generic words?

Most of them have different meanings. Some are used for Western royalty, some
are used for Chinese royalty.

**王** \- (in general) **King** e.g. アーサー王 King Arthur

**王** \- (in historical China and historical Asia) One of the titles of the
lords in the Imperial China, or the King of the Imperial Chinese tributary
state

**国王** \- (as in the Head of State, especially in present‐day) **King** e.g.
フアン・カルロス1世国王 King Juan Carlos I, タイの国王ラーマ9世 Rama IX the King of Thailand

**王様** \- (colloquial, reverential, from people's point of view) **King** e.g.
王様のお城 the King's castle

**君主** \- **Monarch** (This is not a honorific.) e.g. 絶対君主制 absolute monarchy

**大王** \- King **xxx the Great** e.g. アレクサンダー大王 Alexander the Great

**大君** \- (in historical Japan) Diplomatic Title of Shogun (将軍 is a General,
but de facto King in Japan. However 王 meant a vassal of China in those days,
so they coined this Title.)

**帝{みかど}** \- (in historical Japan) **Emperor of Japan**

**帝{てい}** \- Honorific of the emperor (except for Emperor of Japan)

**皇帝** \- (except for Emperor of Japan) **Emperor** e.g. 中国の皇帝 the Emperor of
China, ローマ帝国初代皇帝 first Emperor of the Roman Empire

**帝王** \- **Crowned heads** , **Shah** of the Old Persia, (idiomatic) **King**
e.g. ジャズの帝王 King of jazz

**大帝** \- Emperor **xxx the Great** e.g. オットー大帝 Otto the Great

**天子** \- (in historical China) **Emperor of China** , (in historical Japan,
before 10th century?) **Emperor of Japan**

**天皇** \- **Emperor of Japan**

**天王** \- (in historical Japan) alternative spelling for 天皇

**女王** \- Queen ( **female King** ) e.g. エリザベス2世女王 Queen Elizabeth II

**王妃** \- Queen ( **King's wife** ) e.g. スウェーデンのシルビア王妃 Queen Silvia of Sweden

**皇后** \- Empress consort ( **Emperor's wife** )

**皇太后** \- Empress ( **former Emperor's wife** , Emperor's mother)

**太皇太后** \- Empress ( **former Emperor's wife** , Emperor's grandmother)

**妃{きさき}/后{きさき}** \- (informal, outdated, except for Japanese) Imperial wife

**お妃様/お后様** \- (colloquial, reverential, from people's point of view) Imperial
wife

**女帝** \- Empress regnant ( **female Emperor** )

**王子** \- (in general) **Prince** (Children of royalty) e.g. ウィリアム王子 Prince
William

**皇子** \- Prince ( **Emperor's son** )

**皇太子** \- **Crown prince** e.g. 日本の皇太子 Japanese Crown prince, チャールズ皇太子 Prince
Charles

**親王{しんのう}** \- Honorific of the Japanese Emperor's son, Honorific of the
Japanese Emperor's brother

**王女** \- Princess ( **King's daughter** ) e.g. アン王女 Anne, Princess Royal

**皇女** \- Princess ( **Emperor's daughter** )

**妃{ひ}** \- Honorific of the Imperial wife e.g. ダイアナ妃 Princess Diana, キャサリン妃
Princess Catherine

**親王妃** \- Princess ( **親王's wife** )

**内親王** \- Honorific of the Japanese Emperor's daughter, Honorific of the
Japanese Emperor's sister

**王子妃** \- Princess ( **王子's wife** )

**皇太子妃** \- Princess ( **皇太子's wife** ) e.g. 皇太子妃ダイアナ Princess (wife of the
crown prince) Diana

**妃殿下** \- 妃 + 殿下 ( **Her Royal Highness** )

**大君女** \- (in historical Japan) Princess ( **daughter of the Japanese
Emperor** )

**姫** \- (informal) Princess, Noble's daughter, shogun's daughter, daimyo's
daughter

**お姫様** \- (colloquial, reverential, from people's point of view) 姫

**姫御子{ひめみこ}** \- (in historical Japan, before 10th century?) Princess (
**daughter of the Japanese Emperor** )

> If my assumptions from above are correct, which ones are for Japanese
> royalty and which ones are for foreign royalty?

天皇 is exclusively used for Japanese Emperor. 皇后, 皇太子, 皇太子妃, 皇太后, 太皇太后, 皇子, 皇女,
親王, 内親王 are used for Japanese royalty (not exclusively, though). 国王, 女王, 王妃,
皇太子, 皇太子妃, 王子, 王女, are used for foreign Kingdoms.

> which ones are religious terms and which are "regular"?

There are no religious terms. (However, the Emperor of Japan is closely
related to the Shinto religion). 大君, 帝, 天子, 天王, 大君女, 姫御子 are obsolete.

> What are the rules for being able to apply 陛下 or 殿下?

You can use 陛下 with King, Queen, Emperor and Empress
(国王陛下、女王陛下、王妃陛下、天皇陛下、皇帝陛下、皇后陛下). Other royalty are 殿下.




> Why are there so many terms for these generic words?

Most of them have different meanings. Some are used for Western royalty, some
are used for Chinese royalty.

**王** \- (in general) **King** e.g. アーサー王 King Arthur

**王** \- (in historical China and historical Asia) One of the titles of the
lords in the Imperial China, or the King of the Imperial Chinese tributary
state

**国王** \- (as in the Head of State, especially in present‐day) **King** e.g.
フアン・カルロス1世国王 King Juan Carlos I, タイの国王ラーマ9世 Rama IX the King of Thailand

**王様** \- (colloquial, reverential, from people's point of view) **King** e.g.
王様のお城 the King's castle

**君主** \- **Monarch** (This is not a honorific.) e.g. 絶対君主制 absolute monarchy

**大王** \- King **xxx the Great** e.g. アレクサンダー大王 Alexander the Great

**大君** \- (in historical Japan) Diplomatic Title of Shogun (将軍 is a General,
but de facto King in Japan. However 王 meant a vassal of China in those days,
so they coined this Title.)

**帝{みかど}** \- (in historical Japan) **Emperor of Japan**

**帝{てい}** \- Honorific of the emperor (except for Emperor of Japan)

**皇帝** \- (except for Emperor of Japan) **Emperor** e.g. 中国の皇帝 the Emperor of
China, ローマ帝国初代皇帝 first Emperor of the Roman Empire

**帝王** \- **Crowned heads** , **Shah** of the Old Persia, (idiomatic) **King**
e.g. ジャズの帝王 King of jazz

**大帝** \- Emperor **xxx the Great** e.g. オットー大帝 Otto the Great

**天子** \- (in historical China) **Emperor of China** , (in historical Japan,
before 10th century?) **Emperor of Japan**

**天皇** \- **Emperor of Japan**

**天王** \- (in historical Japan) alternative spelling for 天皇

**女王** \- Queen ( **female King** ) e.g. エリザベス2世女王 Queen Elizabeth II

**王妃** \- Queen ( **King's wife** ) e.g. スウェーデンのシルビア王妃 Queen Silvia of Sweden

**皇后** \- Empress consort ( **Emperor's wife** )

**皇太后** \- Empress ( **former Emperor's wife** , Emperor's mother)

**太皇太后** \- Empress ( **former Emperor's wife** , Emperor's grandmother)

**妃{きさき}/后{きさき}** \- (informal, outdated, except for Japanese) Imperial wife

**お妃様/お后様** \- (colloquial, reverential, from people's point of view) Imperial
wife

**女帝** \- Empress regnant ( **female Emperor** )

**王子** \- (in general) **Prince** (Children of royalty) e.g. ウィリアム王子 Prince
William

**皇子** \- Prince ( **Emperor's son** )

**皇太子** \- **Crown prince** e.g. 日本の皇太子 Japanese Crown prince, チャールズ皇太子 Prince
Charles

**親王{しんのう}** \- Honorific of the Japanese Emperor's son, Honorific of the
Japanese Emperor's brother

**王女** \- Princess ( **King's daughter** ) e.g. アン王女 Anne, Princess Royal

**皇女** \- Princess ( **Emperor's daughter** )

**妃{ひ}** \- Honorific of the Imperial wife e.g. ダイアナ妃 Princess Diana, キャサリン妃
Princess Catherine

**親王妃** \- Princess ( **親王's wife** )

**内親王** \- Honorific of the Japanese Emperor's daughter, Honorific of the
Japanese Emperor's sister

**王子妃** \- Princess ( **王子's wife** )

**皇太子妃** \- Princess ( **皇太子's wife** ) e.g. 皇太子妃ダイアナ Princess (wife of the
crown prince) Diana

**妃殿下** \- 妃 + 殿下 ( **Her Royal Highness** )

**大君女** \- (in historical Japan) Princess ( **daughter of the Japanese
Emperor** )

**姫** \- (informal) Princess, Noble's daughter, shogun's daughter, daimyo's
daughter

**お姫様** \- (colloquial, reverential, from people's point of view) 姫

**姫御子{ひめみこ}** \- (in historical Japan, before 10th century?) Princess (
**daughter of the Japanese Emperor** )

> If my assumptions from above are correct, which ones are for Japanese
> royalty and which ones are for foreign royalty?

天皇 is exclusively used for Japanese Emperor. 皇后, 皇太子, 皇太子妃, 皇太后, 太皇太后, 皇子, 皇女,
親王, 内親王 are used for Japanese royalty (not exclusively, though). 国王, 女王, 王妃,
皇太子, 皇太子妃, 王子, 王女, are used for foreign Kingdoms.

> which ones are religious terms and which are "regular"?

There are no religious terms. (However, the Emperor of Japan is closely
related to the Shinto religion). 大君, 帝, 天子, 天王, 大君女, 姫御子 are obsolete.

> What are the rules for being able to apply 陛下 or 殿下?

You can use 陛下 with King, Queen, Emperor and Empress
(国王陛下、女王陛下、王妃陛下、天皇陛下、皇帝陛下、皇后陛下). Other royalty are 殿下.

