army ranks

Discussion in 'Linguistics' started by mathman, Apr 7, 2018.

  1. mathman Valued Senior Member

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    In the army, a major outranks a lieutenant, but a lieutenant general outranks a major general. How did this happen historically?
     
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  3. Gawdzilla Sama Valued Senior Member

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    Wiki speaketh thusly:
    "
    Major general (abbreviated MG,[1] Maj. Gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparently confusing phenomenon whereby a lieutenant general outranks a major general. (Although a major outranks a lieutenant, a lieutenant outranks a sergeant-major)."
     
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  5. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Isn't that the very model of a modern Major General?
     
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  7. Gawdzilla Sama Valued Senior Member

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    Rear Admiral, Vice (or 'Van') Admiral, and Admiral make more sense.
     
  8. sculptor Valued Senior Member

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    like this
     
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  9. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    Lieutenant is less than Major. If you subtract a Lieutenant from a full General, you have a bigger General remaining than if you subtract a Major.

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  10. Gawdzilla Sama Valued Senior Member

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    I am sooooo going to quote that out of context.
     
  11. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    I should have added, "That's mathematics, boy! You can't argue with mathematics!"
     
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  12. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Is that how "leftenants" were invented?

    By the transitive property, if you subtract Major from full General, you are ... left tenant?
     
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  13. Sarkus Hippomonstrosesquippedalo phobe Valued Senior Member

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  14. DaveC426913 Valued Senior Member

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    Tough crowd...
     

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