''Milord'' () is a term for an

Englishman The English people are an ethnic group and nation native to England, who speak the English language, a West Germanic language, and share a common history and culture. The English identity is of Anglo-Saxon origin, when they were known in ...

, especially a

noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Gr ...

, traveling in Continental Europe. The term was used in both French and English from the 16th century. It derives ultimately from the English phrase "my

lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or are ...

", which was borrowed into

Middle French Middle French (french: moyen français) is a historical division of the French language that covers the period from the 14th to the 16th century. It is a period of transition during which: * the French language became clearly distinguished from ...

as ''millourt'' or ''milor'', meaning a noble or rich man.

History

The

term ''millourt'', meaning a nobleman or a rich man, was in use by around 1430. It appears to be a borrowing of the English phrase "my lord", a term of address for a

or other noble. Later French variants include ''milourt'' and ''milor''; the form ''milord'' was in use by at least 1610. It was

reborrowed Reborrowing is the process where a word travels from one language to another and then back to the originating language in a different form or with a different meaning. This path is indicated by A → B → A, where A is the originating language, an ...

into English by 1598, in the sense of an English noble generally, or one travelling in Continental Europe more specifically. Today, the term is rarely used except humorously. "Milord" has also been used for an automotive bodystyle also known as a three-position convertible or Victoria Cabriolet. The equivalent in

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

is ''milordo''. In

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

, the equivalent was "O Lordos".

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824), known simply as Lord Byron, was an English romantic poet and peer. He was one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement, and has been regarded as among the ...

, who was involved in the Greek War of Independence, was known as "O Lordos" (The Lord), or "Lordos Veeron" (as the Greeks pronounced it), causing things as varied as hotels, ships, cricket teams, roads and even suburbs to be called "Lord Byron" today. The term provided the title for the 1959 French "

Milord ''Milord'' () is a term for an Englishman, especially a noble, traveling in Continental Europe. The term was used in both French and English from the 16th century. It apparently derives ultimately from the English phrase "my lord", which was bo ...

" sung by

Edith Piaf Edith is a feminine given name derived from the Old English words ēad, meaning 'riches or blessed', and is in common usage in this form in English, German, many Scandinavian languages and Dutch. Its French form is Édith. Contractions and var ...

Alternative legal use

"Milord" (in this use generally pronounced as, and sometimes written as, "M'lud": ) is not used in legal settings in the United Kingdom anymore, instead the form of address for several types of judges is just "My Lord". Some courts in Canada also use the phrase. It is common to see (in television or film portrayals of British courtrooms) barristers addressing the judge as "M'lud". This was the usual pronunciation until about the middle of the twentieth century in courts in which the judge was entitled to be addressed as "My Lord".Oxford English Dictionary s.v. "m'lud" (noun), which includes examples from 1853 (Dickens ''Bleak House'' i. 4 ''"‘Mr. Tangle,’ says the Lord High Chancellor... ‘Mlud,’ says Mr. Tangle."'') and 1979 (Jo Grimond ''Memoirs'' iv. 67 ''"We coached him in all the palaver of the court,..the ‘Yes m'lud’ and ‘No m'lud’."'') However, it is a pronunciation which is now obsolete and no longer heard in court.

References

External links

* {{Imperial, royal, and noble styles Archaic English words and phrases Noble titles English words