[HPforGrownups] Re: Master of This School

[Kathryn Cawte]

No: HPFGUIDX 111872


> > Kathryn:
> > >
> > > Even in the UK you wouldn't have referred to the teacher as
> Master, it's an
> > > archaic synonym for teacher (probably bases on their
> qualifications as
> > > mentioned by someone else)
>
> <snip>
>
> Sorry, but yes you would. Masters and boys. Very old school yes, but
> that's the atmosphere Hogwarts engenders (at least for me). English
> Public (US read private) school. Schoolmaster. Master = teacher.
> Headmaster (principal) = chief of the teachers. Headmaster is a term
> of address, while master is not. However, had Snape said *A* master
> of this school perhaps the debate would not arise.
>
K again

You missed my point. I actually *said* that the term Master was used to
refer to them in the third person. Someone seemed to be suggestion that it
was used for directly addressing a teacher in place of sir or whatever. I
was simply pointing out that while a teacher would be a master they would
not be addressed as such. i.e. you wouldn't say "Yes Master" you would say "
Yes Sir" and that it would be very very uncommon to call someone Master
Jackson or whatever but rather Mr Jackson, one of the masters or Mr Jackson,
the chemistry master. As you say master is not a term of address - exactly
my point.

K