Robert Borski wrote (of Jonas):
2 quoted lines
...The details about his donor
(such as Pop being a craftsman) he could have absorbed locally, especially if he takes up with his now fellow tinkers.
No arguments this time :-), just a gloss. I think when Jonas says his father was a craftsman what he really means is that the man who built him was an engineer. It's just his way of fooling his friend Severian without lying more than he has to.
I speculated a little about this way back in Urth vol. 8 (post dated 24/03/98 - hey, that was the day after my birthday).
It took me three seconds to find that speculation, by looking up "craftsman" with the new Search facility. Ranjit, you're a star.