Master (form of address)
Master is an
Etymology
This section needs additional citations for verification. (September 2016) |
Master was used in England for men of some rank, especially "free masters" of a trade guild and by any manual worker or servant employee addressing his employer (his master), but also generally by those lower in status to gentlemen, priests, or scholars. In the Elizabethan period, it was used between equals, especially to a group ("My masters"), mainly by urban artisans and tradespeople. It was later extended to all respectable men and was the forerunner of Mister. The proper title of William Shakespeare's First Folio is pronounced Master William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies.[1]
After its replacement in common speech by Mister, Master was retained as a
Current usage in the United Kingdom
The use of Master as a prefixed title is, according to Leslie Dunkling, "a way of addressing politely a boy ... too young to be called 'Mister'."[2] It can be used as a title and form of address for any boy.[3]
Master was used sometimes, especially up to the late 19th century, to describe the male head of a large estate or household who employed domestic workers.[citation needed]
The heir to a
Current usage in the United States
Nancy Tuckerman, in the Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette, writes that in the United States, unlike the UK, a boy can be addressed as Master only until age 12, then is addressed only by his name with no title until he turns 18, when he takes the title of Mr.,[5]: 662 although it is not improper to use Mr. if he is slightly younger.
Other extant usage
In the 21st century, Master as an honorific or more often master as a professional term still has some use in reference to advanced workers (not always male) in
Master is also frequently used (along with feminine Mistress or Domina) in the
References
- ^ "The Making of Shakespeare's First Folio, Revised Edition". bodleianshop.co.uk. April 2023.
- ^ Dunkling, Leslie (2012). Dictionary of Epithets and Terms of Address.
- ^ Bonner, Mehera (24 June 2021). "Here's Why Meghan and Harry's Son, Archie Harrison, Isn't a Prince, Despite the Couple's Wishes". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- ^ Heywood, Valentine (1953). British Titles (2nd ed.). pp. 103–108.
- ^ Dunnan, Nancy; Tuckerman, Nancy (1995). The Amy Vanderbilt Complete Book of Etiquette (50th Anniversary ed.).
- ISBN 1-881943-14-3.