Sir

E20965

Sir is a formal English honorific title traditionally used to address or refer to a knight or baronet.


Statements (34)
Predicate Object
instanceOf English honorific
form of address
honorific title
associatedWith British honours system
baronetcy
knighthood
context chivalric orders
monarchical societies
contrastsWith informal address forms like first names
countryOfOrigin United Kingdom
derivedFrom Old French sire
etymologyOrigin Middle English
femaleEquivalent Dame
formalityLevel formal
genderAssociation male
grammaticalCategory noun
honorificType title of honour
title of respect
language English
notUsedBefore surname alone
notUsedFor peers of the realm
relatedTerm Dame
Lord
Mister
requires being knighted
holding a baronetcy
typicalPrecedence precedes personal name in written style
usedAs polite form of address to a man in some contexts
usedBefore full name
given name
usedFor addressing a baronet
addressing a knight
referring to a baronet
referring to a knight


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