not disagreeing on the wake category, but just to be clear there are 2 types of aircraft related to certification standard... and -8/rjs are large aircraft...
Large Aircraft: Aircraft of more than 12,500 pounds, maximum certificated takeoff weight.
http://www.faa-aircraft-certification.com/faa-definitions.html#L.
anyway... It's all semantics as far as it relates to the OP...
I remember when I made it onto the Navajo and thought "wow this thing is big, I'm a real pilot now for sure"...
... and then all the time I spent on turboprops dying to get on a 705 machine...
Looking back I have a laugh... your view of things is all relative from where you are and where you've been.