Herra ({{IPA-fi, ˈherːɑ, lang) means "Lord" in
Finnish
Finnish may refer to:
* Something or someone from, or related to Finland
* Culture of Finland
* Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland
* Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people
* Finnish cuisine
See also ...
and "Sir" in
Icelandic. It is now generally used in Finnish as an honorific for all men, the equivalent to the English
title
A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...
s "
Mister," "
Sir
''Sir'' is a formal honorific address in English for men, derived from Sire in the High Middle Ages. Both are derived from the old French "Sieur" (Lord), brought to England by the French-speaking Normans, and which now exist in French only as ...
," and "
gentleman". In the
Finnish Defence Forces
The Finnish Defence Forces ( fi, Puolustusvoimat, sv, Försvarsmakten) are the military of Finland. The Finnish Defence Forces consist of the Finnish Army, the Finnish Navy and the Finnish Air Force. In wartime the Finnish Border Guard (whic ...
, 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
(; 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 ...
, meant the owner of a
lordship
A lordship is a territory held by a lord. It was a landed estate that served as the lowest administrative and judicial unit in rural areas. It originated as a unit under the feudal system during the Middle Ages. In a lordship, the functions of econ ...
. The
Finnish noble rank ''
vapaaherra'' (
baron) 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, i.e.,
Christian God.
The usual female counterpart of ''herra'' is
rouva. 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 as "Härra".
Herra is also a last name.
Honorifics
fi:Herra