Writing a letter in Sanmra
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This public article was written by [Deactivated User], and last updated on 20 Oct 2021, 20:06.
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1. Sanmra Calendar
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2. Sanmra Government
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While handwritten paper letters have died out in much of the modern world, in Sanmra, they persist to a degree. Even for typed or emailed letters, some of the traditional structures are still used.Correctly addressing the recipient of a letter is crucial to formal letter-writing in Sanmra. In all but the most informal notes, the introduction consists of the recipient's name, followed by honorific phrases. These can range from fixed formulas used for commonplace letters (to a family member, to a coworker) to extensive lists of titles and descriptors (major politicians, celebrities, etc.).
The basic formula opens with rola 'to', followed by the personal name of the recipient. Regardless of social standing, the recipient's ancestral or family name should never be used; it is unacceptably rude. If there is a possibility of the recipient being confused (e.g. if two people at the same address have the same personal name), the recipient's ancestral name can be added on the outside of the letter, or the honorifics can be used to clarify.
The honorific phrases are introduced with lid ye/ha/iri--the relative pronoun followed by the appropriate pronoun for the recipient. Honorifics should include any relevant (and, in particularly formal letters, irrelevant) titles of the recipient, as well as one or more positive descriptions of them. In less-formal letters, such as to a friend or coworker, these descriptions usually consist of a single positive adjective or noun--pa'kel 'honorable', liki 'likeable', asota 'wise', almes 'capable', wulenida 'manager. In more formal letters or between individuals of high social standing, original and creative phrasing is strongly preferred and is seen as an indicator of proper upbringing.
A memo to an employee:
Rola Saya lid ha almesha
To Saya, who is capable
Or from an employee to their boss:
Rola Okeni lid ha wulenida pa'kelha
To Okeni, who is an honorable manager
Letters to family members usually include the specific relationship between the sender and recipient:
Rola Iwe lid ye padu fesaned
To Iwe, who is a patient grandfather
In particularly casual letters, the "honorifics" can become more of general descriptors or inside jokes.
Rola Lidara lid analekordarn yon talhas kapara
To Lidara, who still owes me twenty bucks
Some less formulaic introductions, including titles:
Rola Yarwe lid ha nuodail daiha ni Orsili, name'konlin prokalan nume
To Yarwe, strong representative of Orsili, who defends our interests
Rola Edara lid ha kida pa'keled ni aletada ni Elten, ınerki wirn kedilan ni fe'ei
To Edara, honorable judge of the inhabitants of Elten, trustworthy with property contracts
In very formal contexts, an introduction can get quite lengthy, particularly if the recipient has many titles and positions that all must be referenced.
Rola Tien'a lid ha paduman ni dalar, sarda asotatoha ko kir'esatoha, marn ko ne'kon ni adıfas, Ato Kida lid aledarn niha yomern neiroki...
To Tien'a, grandmother of the dalar, wisest and most attentive sarda, weapon and armor of the nation, supreme judge whose judgments are always correct...
Even when writing an angry letter to a despised recipient, outright negative descriptors are avoided and viewed as crude. In fact, in such cases, the introduction may go out of its way to describe the recipient as respectable, upstanding, generous, etc. as a deliberate contrast to the recipient's true character.
Rola Ledan lid ye pa'kelatoed ko asataratoed ko ınelandered ko sokaelatoed...
To Ledan, who is the most honorable and the most virtuous and the most faithful and the most skillful...
An overly obsequious introduction can read as sarcastic, or at least a sign of low class. That being said, it would be difficult to write too-fawning of an introduction for a letter to one of the sarda, the head of one of the First Hundred families, etc.
In contrast, the format for identifying the sender of a letter is straightforward, using yemal 'by, by means of'.
Yemal Rulo ni Etra
From Rulo ni Etra
If the letter writer is of very high social status (e.g. a major politician, a celebrity), their ancestral name may be omitted. However, if the writer misjudges their relative status to the recipient of the letter, it can instead come across as conceited.
Unlike the respectful introduction, the body of a letter has few limitations; even a perfectly positive introduction can be followed by a harsh, upset letter. Slang is avoided except for the most informal of letters between very close friends. Straightforward language to the point of bluntness is acceptable, although a bit of groveling never hurt anyone addressing someone of higher social status.
The standard letter format in Sanmra has no formal closing; as the letter writer is already identified in the introduction, there is no need to add them to close the letter. However, in some circumstances, this could lead to confusion over whether a letter is complete or if the final page is missing. Therefore, it is traditional to draw a horizontal line under the final line of text. In typed or emailed letters, a hyphen (or string of hyphens) is often used instead.
Letters are either folded in on themselves securely or are placed in an envelope. In either case, the recipient's personal name + ancestral name and address are written on the outside, centered. ✎ Edit Article ✖ Delete Article
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