Origin of" Mr," " Mrs" and " Miss.'

Horowhenua Chronicle, 8 June 1910, Page 4

Origin of" Mr," " Mrs" and " Miss.'

It is really a curious system, reuarks n writer in the Baltimore

American, that of putting si prefix, ill order to be polite or as an act of courtesy, to the name of the person whom we greatly edteeni or who is connected, -with us by the bonds of friendship. This custom plainly demonstrates the curious existing social relations; for is there any reason why people should not be called by their names alone? And if it is considered a .proof of respect, whence conies that respect? Why should we use the prefix "don," "senora," or "senorita" then as a matter of necessity? The most humble Roman, even if he were a slave, whether he was addressing a good friend or his or whether he bowed with respect before the great. Caesar, would not have thought it necessary to use any prefix whatever in order to 'perform his duty, and a that time it would not have been considered an act of discourtesy towards his superior. During the time of the Human Emperor it was considered an adt of personal respect- t use the word "dominus" (head of the house). According to Suetonius, Emperor Claudius, desirous of becoming popular, offered banquets to the masses—that is to say, to the lower classes—and iit order to inspire confidence among the invited guests, and to show them that he considered them his equals, he would shake hands with every person who arrived, and called him "dominus," or master, but the custom was. not established as a general rule, because dominus had another meaning, although the noets would use it in ilts feminine gender, "domiino," as an endearing name among lovers.

The modern use of "dominus" did not appear unitil the Western Empire came to an end. What until then had been a casual tribute of respect became necessary in order to address persons of high rank, and a lady, wife of a knight or wife of the owner of a castle, became " mea dom-ina," and then "mea doma," afterwards "madonna," and lastly "madame." The young unmarried woman osf the Middle Ages afterwards became "domiiwcella," which afterwards became "demoiselle," and this finally became "mademoiselle." A knight was "dominus," and afterwards "domino," from which the Spanish "don" is taken. Hut later on the masculine and feminine gender melted into ono dame, ' which meanit gentlemen as well as lady. That is why the present French exclamation "dame" means "scnor." and not "senora." as some people suppose. Towards the twelfth century the word "dame" as a masculine title henan to be substituted by a neither, the La-tin "senior," which has survived in the same form, used as 'Vnwor" in Spanish, "senhor" in Pn'tnguese, si<rnr ' in Italian, And in I'ronch. The same word mutilated stands for the French "sieur" or ' monsieur." In English it has its equivalent in "sir," which at one time meant "reverend,"* iuid. lV as !1 o ? university title applied to bachelors. The "maitre" of the French is an appellative which is aophed to respectable persons who deserve respect, but of low dashes a*; for cx-amnJe, in Spanish it is said 'Seiior T'eoe" to nn individual who is respectable, but belongs to the low class.