Im sorry for starting a topic for this small question, but I havent been able to find information about this anywhere. In Morrowind, Dunmers great my character with "sera". What does that mean?

Sera, Muthsera, and Serjo are terms of respectful Address

Kind of Like Sir or Lord

It's a title that displays respect and/or nobility. It means 'lord' or 'sir' or something among those lines. Used for females as well.

Ah, thanks! Is there anywhere I can read about the title?

I often wondered if "muthsera" was a less formal, more demeaning variant on the term. Dunmer in Morrowind generally refer to you as "muthsera" but switch to "sera" as they become friendlier and more trusting of you.

Muthsera could be a more reserved and formal way of saying it.

I'm pretty sure "Muthsera" is more formal, and "Sera" more familiar. The Word Merchant would know for certain.

I got the impression that it was the other way round: 'sera' seems to be the equivalent of 'sir/madam', whereas 'muthsera' is closer to 'friend'. That is just an impression, though; I can't point to anything concrete to back it up. 'Serjo' is a more formal term (used for people of high rank/status), but that only seems to apply to men.

I think sirra is a middle eastern or somewhere African greeting.

I think.

Sounds nice, anyway.

In Elizabethan times, to refer to someone as "Sirrah" was to address someone as inferior, usually provoking anger or meant as disrespect. This might have no connection, but I thought I'd point that out.

Is this actually a sign of a spoken foreign language in TES?

Nobody but Dunmer say these words, you s'wit.

That's because it's a Dunmer word, so naturally, Dunmer tend to use it most, I think I might have heard other races in Morrowind use it occasionally, though.

It does seem to be a term of respect, I'm not sure if it could be directly translated into English or not, but the usage seems similar to "sir" or "madam".



Probably unrelated in this case, since "Sera" is clearly used as a term of respect.

I tend to agree.

Also shortened words are usually more slang - or familiar. It's something that you might remember your parents do when talking to you in whatever language is natural for you. Parents love to hear children play with words too.

I imagine 'ser' as a way to greet a respected man, most often a noble, and 'sera' as a way to greet a respected man or woman, who does not have to be a noble.

There may also be a difference in actual rank - 'ser' is used when someone officially outranks someone else, whilst 'sera' can be used between anyone regardless of rank.

This may have led to some Dunmer using 'ser' as more formal and 'sera' as more informal.

"Serjo" is also usually used as a title, but can also be used in address: see "The Horror of Castle Xyr". You can hear it pronounced in Tribunal. It shows great deference.

It appears that only a few nobles are entitled to "Serjo", and only those of high rank and fine reputation: Serjo Athyn Sarethi, Serjo Avon Oran.

Ah, I didn't know that.

Looks like I was wrong, lol.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe I've ever heard a Dunmer greet anyone else as 'ser' before; I've only heard 'sera', 'muthsera', and 'serjo'.

You weren't. He was referring only to Elizabethan England. That's a good two or three thousand years after the Phoenician language the Dunmer (particularly the Ashlander) names are based on, and in any case is only in England, not Africa. Your point still stands.

But every language has a formal way of saying something similar - my own, for example, uses 'sibh' as a formal way of talking about someone.

Thank you for your faith in me.

"Muthsera" is a title of high esteem, usually for landowning individuals in Morrowind. I have found only three examples of such a title being used, both in person and in literature. These are Muthseras Angaredhel, Rovone Arvel and Velando Omani.

"Sedura" is sometimes used to address landowning nobles, such as Sedura Hordalf Xyr.

"Ser" is used, although I cannot delineate under what circumstances due to it being used only once that I can find in Morrowind, and that is to address Ser Calissiah Vignum.

"Sera" and "Serjo" appear to be the common way to address a person without respect to his or her status on the social eschelon, with Sera being for the female and Serjo being for the male.

(See http://www.imperial-library.info/zeph/TES_Tre_2_a1.shtml)

I hope this helps,


Yours in the Scrolls,


___The Word Merchant of Julianos

Serjo has always meant "Lord" to me in my mind, serra "friend", and muthsera "sir". But that's just me.
What is the actual definition of s'wit. I know its a curse, but which one.

Looking through the 'Hello' voice greetings in the Construction Set, people start to address you as 'sera' and 'muthsera' when their disposition reaches 50. I can only find three instances of 'serjo': those mentioned in The Word Merchant's link, and several lines in http://www.imperial-library.info/mwbooks/horror_of_castle_xyr.shtml where a maid addresses an Imperial captain as 'serjo'. 'Ser' only seems to be used along with a name, e.g. 'Ser Ralen Hlaalo'.

Ah, thanks, nice to know. But where do you guys know it's a respectful greeting? I haven't been able to find anything about muthsera or sera anywhere, so I just wondered where you got that information. Perhaps you are just smarter than me and deduced it from the game.

Well, you can infer it from the fact that they only use it when their Disposition towards you is over 50 (i.e. they like you).

I'd assume sera is informal and they'd only use3 it with someone they know well, and they use muthsera to be polite to a stranger. Just like in spain, tu is used to refer to someone informally, and usted is used formally