>The closest English word I can think of is "mentor", but it also has
>connotations of role-model, parental figure, and master (as in
>apprentice). It lacks a direct analogue in English, as most Japanese
>words do; if I were going to replace the word "sempai" in a dub with
>an English word, it'd be "mentor", but that's not really accurate; in
>a lot of situations where one would use the word "mentor" in English,
>"sensei" would be more appropriate. I'm trying to think of a good
>illustration of the sempai relationship, but I'm blanking on it.

The most illustrative way I've seen it used is in martial arts. A friend of mine is into karate; her sensei is the guy who teaches the class, while her sempai is a somewhat older guy who's a more advanced student, and helps her out, offers advice, and whatnot in his spare time.

Students in anime often call their upperclassman friends sempai, in a similar vein.

>And artificial languages can become surprisingly common; Tagalog is a
>constructed language.

Is it? I thought it was a creole, like Acadienne. (The difference being that nobody sat down one day and said, "The world doesn't have enough languages in it - I'll make up another one.")

--G.
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Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor in Chief, Netadmin
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/