[lit-ideas] Re: Terms of Address (The Idiot-Proof Handbook)
- From: Robert Paul <rpaul@xxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2009 20:28:47 -0700
"Mr." is a gallicism, from Monsieur. Even in English it should be
derogatory, but let that pass.
Master
O.E. mægester "one having control or authority," from L. magister
"chief, head, director, teacher" (cf. O.Fr. maistre, Fr. maître, It.
maestro, Ger. Meister), infl. in M.E. by O.Fr. maistre, from L.
magister, contrastive adj. from magis (adv.) "more," itself a comp. of
magnus "great." Meaning "original of a recording" is from 1904. In
academic senses (from M.L. magister) it is attested from 1380s,
originally a degree conveying authority to teach in the universities.
The verb is attested from c.1225.
Mr/Mr.
1447, abbreviation of master (q.v.). Used from 1814 with a following
noun or adj., to denote "the exemplar or embodiment of that quality"
(e.g. Mr. Right, 1922, first in James Joyce; Mr. Fix-It, 1925, first
in Ring Lardner; Mr. Big, 1940, first in Groucho Marx). The pl.
Messrs. (1779) is an abbreviation of Fr. messieurs, pl. of monsieur,
used in Eng. to supply the pl. of Mr., which is lacking.
M.
a. In form M. Standing for MONSIEUR n. as a prefixed title. Also in
plural (MESSIEURS n.) MM.
These are obviously derogatory as all get out.
Robert Paul,
waiting for rain
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