Information AboutLieutenant |
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The word ''lieutenant'' derives from French ; the ''lieu'' meaning "place" as in a position; and ''tenant'' meaning "holding" as in "holding a position"; thus a "lieutenant" is somebody who holds a position in the absence of his superior (compare the cognate Latin '' Locum Tenens ''). The British Monarch 's representative in Ireland and in the counties of the United Kingdom was/is called the Lord-Lieutenant . In French History , "lieutenant du roi" was a title borne by the officer sent with military powers to represent the king in certain provinces. It is in the sense of a deputy that it has entered into the titles of more senior officers, Lieutenant General and Lieutenant Colonel . In the nineteenth century those British writers who either considered this word an imposition on the English language or difficult for common soldiers and sailors argued for it to be replaced by the Calque "steadholder" but failed and the French word is still used as well as its Lieutenant-Colonel variation in both the Old and the New World . PRONUNCIATION In English the word is pronounced , except in American English in which it is pronounced . However, the Royal Navy and other Commonwealth navies traditionally pronounced the word as , though increasing usage of the first pronunciation has all but extinguished this version. The American pronunciation was originally the same as the British, but by the end of the 19th century had almost completely been replaced by the current pronunciation. In Canada and New Zealand is standard for all branches of the Armed Forces and for other usages such as '' Lieutenant Governor '' or '' Quebec Lieutenant ''. Australia follows the British system, with the Royal Australian Navy officially using the pronunciation. The English pronunciation was prevalent during the 14th and 15th centuries with the word being variously spelled as ''lieftenant'', ''lyeftenant'' or ''luftenant''. It may have originated from a mistaken reading of the 'u' as a 'v' (''u'' and ''v'' originally were written as the same letter), with ''v'' eventually assimilating in Voice to . Some sources state that the original French word ''lieu'' had an alternative form spelt and pronounced ''lieuf'', and that the modern standard English form retains the former spelling and the latter pronunciation. It has also been speculated that it may have come from a fanciful etymology which associated it with the verb 'to leave', as the lieutenant only took up his duties once his superior officer had 'left'. Another theory comes from the fact that in typical propriety the person or persons standing to the rear-left of a gentleman held power and were typically those directly second to him. The person or persons standing to the rear-right were considered to have no or less standing than those to the rear-left, such as aides, bodyguards, wives, etc., often holding this position for simple facility rather than societal importance. This tradition remains in Military Parades , with lieutenants standing to the rear-left of the commanding officer (when facing the advance.) DUTIES AND RANKINGS Conventionally, armies and other services or branches which use army-style rank titles (e.g., Marines, Military Health Service, etc.) have two grades of Lieutenant:
Sometimes the rank of Third Lieutenant is used, typically as a cadet or temporary rank indicating that the holder is a commissioned officer in the chain of command—barely. COMPARATIVE RANKS A naval Lieutenant and air force Flight Lieutenant are equivalent in rank to an army or Marine Corps Captain , and a Sub-Lieutenant (most English-speaking nations) or Lieutenant, Junior Grade (US) is equivalent in grade to an army or Marine Corps First Lieutenant. RANK INSIGNIA The insignia of a Lieutenant in many navies, including the Royal Navy, consists of two medium Gold Braid stripes (top stripe with loop) on a 'navy blue'/black background. This pattern was copied by the United States Navy and various Air Forces for their equivalent ranks grades (see Flight Lieutenant ). Unlike the United States Navy, which uses different insignia to distinguish specialists, the Royal Navy and other Commonwealth navies differentiated between line and specialist officers by placing coloured bands (known as 'lights') between the braids. These were abolished in the RN in only), and in the 20th Century for instructor officers; white for paymaster officers (from 1863); purple for engineer officers (from 1863); silver grey for shipwright officers (from 1918 ); dark green for electrical officers (from 1918); maroon, later replaced by salmon pink, for wardmaster officers (commissioned medical assistants) (from 1918); and dark blue for ordnance officers (from 1918). Rarely seen these days is the rank insignia worn on formal tail-coats, which comprises a silver anchor and a star on a shoulder-board covered with gold lace. In armies, marines and other services, there is much greater variation. In most English-speaking and Arabic-speaking countries, as well as a number of European and South American nations, full lieutenants (and equivalents) usually wear two stars and second lieutenants (and equivalents) one. The United States Army, Air Force and Marine Corps are notable exceptions. These services distinguish their lieutenant ranks with one silver bar for First Lieutenant and one gold (brass) bar for Second Lieutenant. Naval lieutenants also wear bars in the same configuration as their equivalents in the other services. In the United States services stars are used for flag- and general-rank insignia. SEE ALSO |
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