English honorifics
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the English language an English honorific is something that is attached to, but not usually part of a name, e.g. Mr, Sir, Mrs, Dr and My Lord. They are not titles or positions, that can appear without the person's name, e.g. the President, the Earl, and may be associated with a particular role or area, e.g. the US President, Financial Director, Earl of Rothesay.
There are also many forms of honorific that are used when addressing the members of the nobility or royalty. This is mostly the case in countries that are monarchies. Countries that are republics but were former monarchies usually allow members of the nobility or their decendants to use the honorifics as part of their name or as a casual title. These include "Your Majesty" and "Your Highness", which are often used when speaking with royalty. "Milord" or "Milady" can be used to address a peer or peeress other than a Duke, who is referred to as "Your Grace".
Honorifics usually distinguish the sex of the person being referred to, with the exception of a few titles of the nobility and of professional honorifics such as Doctor or General. These were traditionally male-only professions and women have simply adopted the associated titles. While 'the President' and 'the Mayor' are considered gender neutral, the partners of these titleholders are usually referred to as 'the First Lady' and 'the Lady Mayoress' respectively. In cases where a woman with a male partner has held the role, efforts have been made to create a 'masculine' form of the spousal honorific.
[edit] Usage
- Miss: Miss - for unmarried women.
- Mr: Mister (or, formally, Master) - for men who have no other title.
- Mrs: (IPA: /mɪsɨz/ or /mɪsɨs/) - for married women who have no other title (either in their own right or associated with their husband's title).
- Ms: (IPA: /mɪz/ or /mɨz/) - for women who do not wish to state their marital status.
