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Where does the word "lord" come from? It comes from Old English hlāford, passing through Middle English before entering English (1500s).
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Where does the word "lord" come from? It comes from Old English hlāford, passing through Middle English before entering English (1500s).
Lord’s story begins in Old English: hlāford meant “master.” From 'hlāfweard', loaf-guardian: the head of the household who provided its bread. By 1100s-1400s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as lord. Shortened from 'loverd' by the 1300s. It reached English by 1500s as lord. Used for God as a translation of Latin 'Dominus'. Today, lord means a man of noble rank or high authority.
- Stage 1 · Old English · 700s-1000s hlāford "master", from 'hlāfweard', loaf-guardian: the head of the household who provided its bread.
- Stage 2 · Middle English · 1100s-1400s lord "lord", shortened from 'loverd' by the 1300s.
- Stage 3 · English · 1500s lord "nobleman, master", used for God as a translation of Latin 'Dominus'.