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Todd (M) / Vixen(F)- Older kids not yet adults.
Den-mother (F) / Pack-leader(M)- Adults
Alpha- Older folks.
Kabuki- is classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers. The individual kanji characters, from left to right, mean sing, dance, and skill. Kabuki is therefore sometimes translated as "the art of singing and dancing."
~Common honorifics~
San - is the most commonplace honorific, and is a title of respect typically used between equals of any age.
Chan- is a diminutive suffix; it expresses that the speaker finds a person endearing. Thus, using chan with a superior's name would be condescending and rude. In general, chan is used for babies, young children, grandparents and teenage girls. It may also be used towards cute animals, lovers, close friends, or any youthful woman. It can be used for males in some circumstances, but in general this use is rather condescending or intimate.
Kun- is used by persons of senior status in addressing or referring to those of junior status, or by anyone when addressing or referring to male children or male teenagers. It can also be used by females when addressing a male that they are emotionally attached to or have known for a long period of time. Although kun is generally used for boys, that is not a hard rule. For example, kun can be used to name a close personal friend or family member of either gender. Also, in business settings, young female employees may also be addressed as kun by older males of senior status. It can also be used by male teachers addressing their female students.
Sama- more respectful version of san. It is used mainly to refer to people much higher in rank than oneself, toward one's customers, and sometimes toward people one greatly admires. When used to refer to oneself, sama expresses extreme arrogance (or self-effacing irony), as with ore-sama ("my esteemed self").
Kōhai -is a junior, the reverse of senpai, but it is not normally used as an honorific.
Senpai -is used to address or refer to one's senior colleagues
Gakusei- means student and is not normally used as an honorific.
Shi-
is used in formal writing, and sometimes in very formal speech, for referring to a person who is unfamiliar to the speaker.
Dono/tono-Tono, pronounced dono when attached to a name, roughly means "lord" or "master". It does not equate noble status; rather it is a term akin to "milord" or French "monseigneur," and lies in between san and sama in level of respect. This title is not commonly used in daily conversation, but it is still used in some types of written business correspondence, as well as on certificates and awards, and in written correspondence in tea ceremonies. It is/was also used to indicate that the person referred to has the same (high) rank as the referrer, yet commands respect from the speaker.
~Ranks~
Kyoshi -refers to an advanced teacher.
Hanshi-refers to a senior expert considered a "teacher of teachers". This title is used by many different arts for the top few instructors of that style, and is sometimes translated "Grand Master".
Meijin- awarded by a special board of examiners.
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