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QUERY: Professor or doctor and Pale Fire index
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Jerry Friedman writes:
Dear Jansy,
"Doctor" is used for people who have a doctorate.
Tactful students might use it if they don't know
whether the person they're addressing has a
doctorate.
"Professor" is used for teachers and researchers
who the college has given the rank of "professor"
(often with an adjective, such as "assistant professor").
Not all college teachers are professors. There can be
lower teaching ranks, such as "teaching assistant"
(usually a graduate student) and "instructor" (often a
Ph.D.). Titles vary from college to college.
Thus someone with a doctorate teaching at a college
may not be a professor. Likewise a professor may not
have a doctorate. This is particularly common in the
fine arts; as an undergraduate, I took poetry classes
from five professors, none of them doctors (I think).
It seems likely that Shade is in such a position.
In my younger days, if someone had a doctorate and
was a professor, I always addressed that person as
"Professor". However, some people said and say
"Doctor" in that situation. "Professor Doctor"
and "Doctor Professor" don't exist in English, as
far as I know, except as jokes or literal
translations.
Shade calls Kinbote "Professor Kinbote" in the note to
line 894--for whatever that's worth.
In an index I wouldn't expect "Dr.", though things may
have changed since 1959. Kinbote's application of it
to himself may be his usual vainglory.
Two years ago, the community college I work for changed
the faculty members' titles from "instructor" to
"professor"--for whatever that's worth. I ask my
students to call me
Jerry
Susan Elizabeth Sweeney
Co-Editor, NABOKV-L
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Dear Jansy,
"Doctor" is used for people who have a doctorate.
Tactful students might use it if they don't know
whether the person they're addressing has a
doctorate.
"Professor" is used for teachers and researchers
who the college has given the rank of "professor"
(often with an adjective, such as "assistant professor").
Not all college teachers are professors. There can be
lower teaching ranks, such as "teaching assistant"
(usually a graduate student) and "instructor" (often a
Ph.D.). Titles vary from college to college.
Thus someone with a doctorate teaching at a college
may not be a professor. Likewise a professor may not
have a doctorate. This is particularly common in the
fine arts; as an undergraduate, I took poetry classes
from five professors, none of them doctors (I think).
It seems likely that Shade is in such a position.
In my younger days, if someone had a doctorate and
was a professor, I always addressed that person as
"Professor". However, some people said and say
"Doctor" in that situation. "Professor Doctor"
and "Doctor Professor" don't exist in English, as
far as I know, except as jokes or literal
translations.
Shade calls Kinbote "Professor Kinbote" in the note to
line 894--for whatever that's worth.
In an index I wouldn't expect "Dr.", though things may
have changed since 1959. Kinbote's application of it
to himself may be his usual vainglory.
Two years ago, the community college I work for changed
the faculty members' titles from "instructor" to
"professor"--for whatever that's worth. I ask my
students to call me
Jerry
Susan Elizabeth Sweeney
Co-Editor, NABOKV-L
Search archive with Google:
http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=site:listserv.ucsb.edu&HL=en
Contact the Editors: mailto:nabokv-l@utk.edu,nabokv-l@holycross.edu
Visit Zembla: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/nabokov/zembla.htm
View Nabokv-L policies: http://web.utk.edu/~sblackwe/EDNote.htm
Visit "Nabokov Online Journal:" http://www.nabokovonline.com
Manage subscription options: http://listserv.ucsb.edu/