''Milord'' () is a term for an Englishman, especially a noble, traveling in

Continental Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous continent of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by ...

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

lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage ...

", 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 t ...

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

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 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 wi ...

, 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 The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...

, 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" sung by Edith Piaf.

Alternative legal use

"Milord" (in this use generally pronounced as, and sometimes written as, "M'lud": ) is commonly perceived to be used by English

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and givin ...

s (lawyers who appeared in court), accused people, and witnesses when addressing the judge adjudicating in a trial. 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. The modern pronunciation is "My Lord". The correct term of address for an English judge depends on his or her appointment. Judges of the High Court and of the Court of Appeal, and certain other judges (notably, Honorary Recorders and judges of the

Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...

), are addressed as My Lord or My Lady. The above usage of My Lord and My Lady is also required in Canadian Superior and Supreme courts.

References

External links

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