THE TROUBLE WITH RANKS 1: NAMES

Ranks and offices are always a hard nut to crack.

The main reason why is that ranks vary across organizations.

It is interesting to investigate on the subject. To see where rank and office names come from would be the first thing.

In English, it is pretty clear. They're Italic, via la France. Unlike the "barbarian" Saxons, the winners of 1066 were accustomed to elegant royal courts and professional armies. In a Germanic society like the Saxon kingdoms, there would be more need for smiths and bakers than for chancellors and lieutenants.

Unlike the Anglo-Saxons, Scandinavians did not have such close contact with the French. But they had contact with the Germans of the Holy Roman Empire in the Late Middle Ages. And those posh Lübeckers that made Sweden independent had connections across the Rhine. There was a "Kanzler" at every petty court (I am referring here to electors, counts...) of the Empire, and more than one "Leutnant" in the Austrian Habsburgs' ranks.

To make things clear, let's chart the evolution of rank and office names in English and Swedish!

French>English:

chancelier>chancellor

lieutenant>lieutenant

French>German>Swedish

chancelier>Kanzler>kansler

lieutenant>Leutnant>löjtnant