Milord
Encyclopedia
In the nineteenth century, milord (also milor) was well-known as a word which continental Europe
ans (especially French
) whose jobs often brought them into contact with travellers (innkeepers, guides, etc.) commonly used to address Englishmen or male English-speakers who seemed to be upper-class (or whom they wished to flatter) – even though the English-language phrase "my Lord
" (the source of "milord") played a somewhat minor role in the British system of honorific forms of address, and most of those addressed as "milord" were not in fact proper "lords" (members of the nobility) at all. The word "milord" was occasionally borrowed back into the English language in order to be used as a sarcastic or jocular reference to British travellers abroad.
(Most English-speaking tourists in the 1700s had to be rich to undertake the "Grand Tour
".)
The most famous usage in recent years has been the 1959 French song "Milord"
by Edith Piaf
.
In Greece
the equivalent was O Lordos; Lord Byron was known as "O Lordos" (The Lord), or "Lordos Veeron" (as the Greeks pronounce it), causing things as varied as hotels, ships, cricket teams, roads and even suburbs to be called "Lord Byron" today.
It is common to see in television or film portrayals of British courtrooms barristers addressing the judge as M'lud. This, in fact, is nothing more than an erroneous stereotype perpetuated by the perception that this is accurate. In the same way as British judges on television are seen banging a gavel, the truth is that judges have never been addressed as M'lud, nor used a gavel. The correct term of address for a judge depends on his appointment. A District Judge, who sits in the Magistrates' Court, can be referred to as Sir or Madam. A Circuit Judge, who sits in the County Court or Crown Court, is called Your Honour, and a High Court Judge or above would be addressed as My Lord or My Lady, but never "M'lud".
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
ans (especially French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
) whose jobs often brought them into contact with travellers (innkeepers, guides, etc.) commonly used to address Englishmen or male English-speakers who seemed to be upper-class (or whom they wished to flatter) – even though the English-language phrase "my Lord
Lord
Lord is a title with various meanings. It can denote a prince or a feudal superior . The title today is mostly used in connection with the peerage of the United Kingdom or its predecessor countries, although some users of the title do not themselves hold peerages, and use it 'by courtesy'...
" (the source of "milord") played a somewhat minor role in the British system of honorific forms of address, and most of those addressed as "milord" were not in fact proper "lords" (members of the nobility) at all. The word "milord" was occasionally borrowed back into the English language in order to be used as a sarcastic or jocular reference to British travellers abroad.
(Most English-speaking tourists in the 1700s had to be rich to undertake the "Grand Tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
".)
The most famous usage in recent years has been the 1959 French song "Milord"
Milord (song)
"Milord" or "Ombre de la Rue" is a 1959 song , famously sung by Édith Piaf. It is a chanson that recounts the feelings of a lower-class "girl of the port" who develops a crush on an elegantly attired apparent upper-class British traveller , whom she has seen walking the streets of the...
by Edith Piaf
Édith Piaf
Édith Piaf , born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads...
.
In Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
the equivalent was O Lordos; Lord Byron was known as "O Lordos" (The Lord), or "Lordos Veeron" (as the Greeks pronounce it), causing things as varied as hotels, ships, cricket teams, roads and even suburbs to be called "Lord Byron" today.
Alternative legal use
"Milord" (in this use generally pronounced as, and sometimes written as, "M'lud") is commonly perceived to be used by English barristers (lawyers who appeared in court), accused, and witnesses when addressing the judge adjudicating in the trial.It is common to see in television or film portrayals of British courtrooms barristers addressing the judge as M'lud. This, in fact, is nothing more than an erroneous stereotype perpetuated by the perception that this is accurate. In the same way as British judges on television are seen banging a gavel, the truth is that judges have never been addressed as M'lud, nor used a gavel. The correct term of address for a judge depends on his appointment. A District Judge, who sits in the Magistrates' Court, can be referred to as Sir or Madam. A Circuit Judge, who sits in the County Court or Crown Court, is called Your Honour, and a High Court Judge or above would be addressed as My Lord or My Lady, but never "M'lud".