Khashdrahr stopped translating and frowned perplexedly. “Please, this average man, there is no equivalent in our language, I’m afraid”.
“You know”, said Halyard, “the ordinary man, like, well, anybody – these men working back on the bridge, the little man, not brilliant but good-hearted, plain, ordinary, everyday kind of person”.
Khashdrahr translated.
“Aha”, said the Shah, nodding, “Takaru“.
“What did he say?”
“Takaru“, said Khashdrahr. “Slave“.
“No Takaru”, said Halyard, speaking directly to the Shah. “Citizen“.
He grinned happily, “Takaru-Citizen, Citizen-Takaru“.
“No Takaru!”, said Halyard.
Khashdrahr shrugged. “In the Shah’s land there are only the Elite and the Takaru“.
excerpt from Player Piano, by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr