Andrew Huang wrote:

Very helpful indeed. Just a couple of additional points I wanted to
mention.

8. -dono
  This one's an old one, not used much at all nowadays. If one were
addressing a nobleman or lady of the court during the days of the
Shogunate, you would likely use "-dono". As with "-sama", it's somewhat
like adding "Lord" or "Lady", but with a different level to it...not
exactly lower (well, definitely lower than the Emperor, of course), but
just a different level. Don't worry about this one too much--it's pretty
much an archaism, nowadays heard mostly only in period films or series.

Not sure if it just applies to nobility. A couple of anime instances tobe
wary of if you want to use this:

Kenshin (from RK) adds -dono to just about anyone he meets, using
it as more of a polite honorific, except when he's really pissed. :)
Many of the people he talks to certainly aren't nobility or even samurai.

Tenchi (from Tenchi Muyo) adds -dono when he speaks to Mihoshi
and to Washu, I think - but she always threatens him and insists on
'-chan'. But he doesn't do this for Aeka, who is definitely nobility
(even though they are related, he doesn't use this from when he meets
her nor -sama either).

But it definitely is a very archaic form of address, so you can pretty
much forget about it, except when you want to use it.

9. Last note
  In real life, never ever use an honorific when referring to yourself.
It's just not done. :P To add "-san" (or worse, "-sama") when talking
about yourself by using your own name is seen to be quite pompous, in a
society where the norm is humbling yourself and elevating others.
"-chan" is, well...sort of cute, but rather childish--one could excuse
it if a young child talked about him/herself using that, I suppose. The
others also just aren't used. Basically...don't do it.

Certain anime characters to talk about themselves in the third personand
some do add -chan as well (usually very young girls) but one notable
instance:

Fuko (from Flame of Recca) often refers to herself as Fuko-chan
in place of I, and she's in high school (about 16)!

Hope this helps.

Phil.

Andrew Huang...Nerdboy@KawaiiMUCK; ICQ UIN: 30809640
http://www.hcs.harvard.edu/~alhuang/
Harvard Anime Society, President
"Mweh. Heh. Heh."