גדול מרב רבי גדול מרבי רבן גדול מרבן שמו

gadol me-rav rabbi, gadol me-rabbi rabban, gadol me-rabban shemo


The title rabbi is greater than the title rav. Rabban is greater than rabbi and a name is greater than the title rabbi.

If a sentence like "Maimonides, at first was termed only Ben Maimon after his degree, then was he called by his own name, added to his fathers, Moses Ben Maimon: at last being licensed to teach, then was he called רמבם , which abbreviature consisting of Capital Letters, signifieth" fires your imagination, then read A 17th century Hebraist imagines how rabbis receive their titles at English Hebraica.