Herra ({{IPA-fi, ˈherːɑ, lang) means "Lord" in
Finnish and "Sir" in
Icelandic. It is now generally used in Finnish as an honorific for all men, the equivalent to the English
titles "
Mister
''Mister'', usually written in its contracted form ''Mr.'' or ''Mr'', is a commonly used English honorific for men without a higher honorific, or professional title, or any of various designations of office. The title 'Mr' derived from earlier ...
," "
Sir," and "
gentleman
A gentleman (Old French: ''gentilz hom'', gentle + man) is any man of good and courteous conduct. Originally, ''gentleman'' was the lowest rank of the landed gentry of England, ranking below an esquire and above a yeoman; by definition, the ra ...
". In the
Finnish Defence Forces, a superior is addressed with ''herra'' (or in case of a female superior, ''rouva'') followed by the rank of the superior. The address starts the conversation but is not repeated. For example, ''herra luutnantti'' is the same address as "Lieutenant Sir!"
Written ''herra Halonen'' or ''hra Halonen'', the plural is ''herrat''. This formal form of address is rare, used in the army and in the parliament. This title is commonly not prefixed to a first name, as it connotes a lord in past centuries (e.g., ''herra Kaarle'' or ''Kaarle-herra'' gives an impression similar to that of ''Mylord Charles'' or ''Lord Charles'').
In earlier centuries of the civilization, ''herra'', similar to Lord, Sieur, Seigneur, and
Freiherr, meant the owner of a
lordship. The
Finnish noble
The Finnish nobility ( fi, Aateli; sv, Adel) was historically a privileged class in Finland, deriving from its period as part of Sweden and the Russian Empire. Noble families and their descendants are still a part of Finnish republican society, bu ...
rank ''
vapaaherra
(; male, abbreviated as ), (; his wife, abbreviated as , literally "free lord" or "free lady") and (, his unmarried daughters and maiden aunts) are designations used as titles of nobility in the German-speaking areas of the Holy Roman Empire ...
'' (
baron
Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knig ...
) is a continuation of this meaning. Usually, noble landowners and high priests were "herra". At those times, no commoner would have been called herra. Indeed, several older fiction works show that commoners would react to being called ''herra'' with derision ("I am no ''herra''!").
When capitalized, "Herra" refers to
The Lord
Lord is a general title denoting deference applied to a male person of authority, religious or political, or a deity.
Lord or The Lord may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Lord (band), an Australian heavy metal band
* "The Lord" (song ...
, i.e.,
Christian God
God in Christianity is believed to be the eternal, supreme being who created and preserves all things. Christians believe in a monotheistic conception of God, which is both transcendent (wholly independent of, and removed from, the material u ...
.
The usual female counterpart of ''herra'' is
rouva
Herra ({{IPA-fi, ˈherːɑ, lang) means "Lord" in Finnish and "Sir" in Icelandic. It is now generally used in Finnish as an honorific for all men, the equivalent to the English titles " Mister," "Sir," and " gentleman". In the Finnish Defence F ...
. The equivalent of ''Miss'' is
neiti.
The more archaic female variant, ''herratar'' has not evolved — its meaning and impression given is still that of the feudal fiefholder.
This word has the same meaning and usage in
Icelandic and
Estonian
Estonian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe
* Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent
* Estonian language
* Estonian cuisine
* Estonian culture
See also ...
as "Härra".
Herra is also a last name.
Honorifics
fi:Herra