title, tytle

[O. Fr. title; Fr. titre, from Lat. titulum, acc us. of titulus a superscription on a tomb, altar, .; a title of honor; Sp. & Port. titulo; Ital. titolo.] I. Ordinary Language : IMG:content-1171.png:[blocks in formation] IMG:content-1172.png:[blocks in formation] title *2. An inscription put over anything as a name by which it is known or distinguished. "Tell me once more what title thou [a casket] dost bear." --Shakesp.. Merchant of Venice , ii. 9 3. An appellation; a name. "The ranking of things into species, which is nothing but sorting them under several titles , is done by us according to the ideas that we have of them."-Locke: Human Understanding , bk. iii., ch. vi. 4. An appellation of dignity, distinction, or preeminence given to persons; as, titles of honor, which are words or phrases belonging to certain persons as their right in consequence of certain dignities being inherent in them or conferred upon them; as, Emperor, King, Czar, Prince, . In this country there are no titles of distinction save those of profe ional men, which are conferred by authorized institutions as rewards for distinguished merit. Titles of nobility, conferred by any foreign power upon any officer or employé of the United States government, are prohibited by the Constitution, and any foreigner who may hold a title of nobility must, on becoming a citizen of this country, renounce formally all pretensions to such distinction. Various offices of dignity and trust carry with them certain forms of addre , but these forms of addre pertain to the offices alone, and the holders of these offices have no claims to the prescribed form of addre after their terms of service have expired. The President, governors of States, and ministers to foreign nations are addre ed, and spoken of, as your or his " Excellency," save in the case of speaking to the President, who should be addre ed as "Mr. President." The Vice-President, members of the Cabinet and members of Congre , heads of departments, a istant secretaries, comptrollers and auditors of Treasury, clerks of the Senate and House of Representatives, State Senators, law judges, mayors of cities, ., are entitled "Honorable" and formally addre ed as "Your Honor." Military, naval, ecclesiastical and other profe ional dignities are distinguished by the titles common to the English-speaking peoples of the world. The five orders of nobility in England are distinguished by the titles of Duke, Marquis, Earl. Viscount, and Baron. [See these words.) The dignity of Baronet is distinguished by that word placed after the name and surname of the holder of the dignity, and also by the title of Sir prefixed to the name. This title, like that of the peers, is hereditary. The dignity of knighthood, which is not hereditary, is distinguished by the title of Sir prefixed to the name and surname of the holder. Ecclesiastical dignities carry with them the right to certain titles of honor, besides the phrases by which the dignities themselves are designated thus, an archbishop is styled His Grace the Lord Archbishop of; a bishop, The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of. All persons admitted to the clerical order are entitled to the title of Reverend. Members of the Privy Council are entitled to be styled Right Honorable. Certain municipal offices have also titles attached to them; as, The Right Honorable the Lord Mayor of London, The Right Honorable the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, .; certain legal offices also carry with them the right to certain titles, and the children of peers are also entitled by courtesy to certain terms of distinction. "To me what is title ?-the phantom of power; To me what is fashion?-1 seek but renown." Byron: To the Rev. J. T. Becher. *5. A claim, a right. "Make claim and title to the crown of France." Shakesp.: Henry V. , 1. 2. *6. Property; po e ion, as founding a right. "To guard a title that was rich before." Shakesp. King John, iv. 2. 7. The inscription in the beginning of a book, containing the subject of the work, and usually the names of the author and publisher, date, .; a title-page. 8. A particular section or division of a subject, as of a law, a book, or the like; especially a section or chapter of a law-book. ( Bouvier .) II Technically : of evangelical poverty ( titulus pauper tat is ) in a religious order is a valid title; and the students of Propaganda and certain other Colleges, and candidates for holy orders in mi ionary countries, have a title from the mi ion for which they are ordained or the seminary in which they were educated ( titulus mi ion is vel seminar i i). The acceptance of this last title imposes on the bishop the responsibility of providing for the support of the ordained, should he become incapable of discharging his functions. (2) A titular church (q. v.), or the district or parish a igned to it. ( Eng . & Roman Cath . Churches.) "Fifty [cardinals] described as priests, holding a cor responding number of Titles or parishes in Rome." Addis & Arnold: Cath. Dict., p. 119. IMG:content-1173.png:[blocks in formation] Law : An instrument evidencing a man's right or title to property. *title-leaf, s. A title-page (q. v.). "Yea, this man's brow, like to a title -leaf, title-leaf,,, Foretells the na nature of a tragic volume." Shakesp.: Henry IV ., Pt . II ., i. 1. title-page, s. The page of a book which contains the title. [TITLE, 8. , I. 7.] "The book of all the world that charm'd me most Was,-well-a-day, the title - page was lost." title-rôle, s. Cowper: Hope, 428. The at.: The character or part in a play which gives its name to the play; as that of Hamlet in the play of thas name. *title-scroll, s . A scroll showing titles, as of a nobleman or great family. IMG:content-1174.png:[blocks in formation] "Insomuch that some of the self same commi ioners found of their own wives, titled among the rest."- Strype : Eccles. Mem. (1536.)