Etymology Map
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Lord

3 stages from Old English to English.

Today it means a man of noble rank or high authority

Where does the word "lord" come from? It comes from Old English hlāford, passing through Middle English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
hlāford
Old English · 700s-1000s
"master"
from 'hlāfweard', loaf-guardian: the head of the household who provided its bread
2
Stage 2 of 3
lord
Middle English · 1100s-1400s
"lord"
shortened from 'loverd' by the 1300s
3
Stage 3 of 3
lord
English · 1500s
"nobleman, master"
used for God as a translation of Latin 'Dominus'
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Read the full story

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.