Citations:ardian


 * 1936, The Periodical (Oxford University Press), volumes 21–22, page 67
 * Among the many questions which had had to be dealt with was that of naming the officers of the new service. . . . A list of new titles was manufactured as follows: Ensign, Lieutenant, Flight-Leader, Squadron-Leader, Reeve, Banneret, Fourth-Ardian, Third-Ardian, Second-Ardian, Ardian, Air Marshal. An alternative list slightly varied the ranks above Squadron-Leader. The suggestions were: Wing Leader, Leader, Flight Ardian, Squadron Ardian, Wing Ardian, and so on. Members of the service will read these titles with interest, the more so because the only two which are in use are Squadron Leader and Air Marshal. “Reeve”, perhaps, savoured a little too much of legal authority, but one may regret “Banneret”, which has a flavour and associations, more especially as the leader of a formation in the air went into battle flying a streamer which formed a rallying mark as did the banner of the knight for his vassals. “Ardian” comes from the Gaelic “Ard” meaning “chief”, and “Ian” or “Eun”, a “bird”. The translation, perhaps, detracts something from its dignity.