A lord is a male who has power and authority. It can have different meanings depending on the context of use. Sociologists usually define power as the ability to impose ones Will on others, even if those others resist in some way. ...

The etymology of the English word lord goes back to Old English hlaf-weard (loaf-guardian) -- reflecting the Germanic tribal custom of a superior providing food for his followers. The female equivalent, Lady, may come from words meaning "loaf-kneader". Jump to: navigation, search Etymology is the study of the origins of words. ... Old English (also called Anglo-Saxon) is an early form of the English language that was spoken in parts of what is now England and southern Scotland between the mid-fifth century and the mid-twelfth century. ... A lady is a woman who is the counterpart of a lord; or, the counterpart of a gentleman. ...

Religion

With a definite article and capitalisation, "The Lord" (Hebrew Adonai, Greek Kyrios, Latin Dominus) serves as an epithet of Yahweh, the God of the Jews and Christians. Christians also use the phrase "Our Lord" (or "The Lord") with reference to Jesus. Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by 6 million people mainly in Israel, parts of the Palestinian territories, the United States and by Jewish communities around the world. ... Latin is an Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... The Tetragrammaton in Phoenician (1100 BC to 300 CE), Aramaic (10th Century BC to 0) and modern Hebrew scripts. ... The term God is capitalized in the English language as a proper noun when used to refer to a specific monotheistic concept of a Supreme Being in accordance with Christian, Jewish (sometimes as G-d - cf. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament writings of his early followers. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament writings of his early followers. ... Jesus (Greek: Ιησους Iēsoûs), also known as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ, is Christianitys central figure, both as Messiah and, for most Christians, as God incarnate. ...

In Neopaganism the term "Lord" refers to the male God. Neopaganism (sometimes Neo-Paganism) describes a heterogeneous group of new religious movements which attempt to revive ancient, mainly pre-Christian and often pre-Judaic Indo-European religions. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Usages in Buddhism ([the] Lord Buddha) and in Hinduism (Lord Vishnu, for example) appear less definite than those in more monotheistic traditions. A replica of an ancient statue found among the ruins of a temple at Sarnath Buddhism is a religion and philosophy based on the teachings of the Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama, a prince of the Shakyas, whose lifetime is traditionally given as 566 to 486 BCE. Buddhism gradually spread from... Hinduism (सनातन धर्म; also known as Sanātana Dharma, and Vaidika-Dharma) is a worldwide religious tradition that is based on teachings of the Veda scriptures. ... Monotheism (in Greek monon = single and Theos = God) is the belief in a single, universal, all-encompassing deity. ...

Note the general capitalisation of the word "Lord" in the religious context. In many English-language speech communities, the religious usage of "Lord" predominates today, as Christianity (for example) has established itself and thrived in many social environments where formal feudal-like class structures have become deprecated. The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ...

Feudalism

In feudalism, a lord (French: seigneur) has aristocratic rank and claims dominion over a portion of land and the produce and labour of the serfs living thereon. The serf would swear the oath of fealty to the Lord, or "keeper of the loaves". Such lords normally inherit their position and theoretically expect allegiance similar to that owed to a monarch. Defining feudalism is difficult because there is no generally accepted agreement on what it means. ... The Ancient Greek term aristocracy meant a system of government with rule by the best. This is the first definition given in most dictionaries. ... Costumes of Slaves or Serfs, from the Sixth to the Twelfth Centuries, collected by H. de Vielcastel, from original Documents in the great Libraries of Europe. ... An oath (from Saxon eoth) is either a promise or a statement of fact calling upon something or someone that the oath maker considers sacred, usually a god, as a witness to the binding nature of the promise or the truth of the statement of fact. ... Roland pledges his fealty to Charlemagne; from a manuscript of a chanson de geste. ...

As part of the heritage of feudalism, the word lord can generally refer to superiors of many kinds, e.g. "landlord". In many cultures in Europe the equivalent term serves as a general title of address equivalent to the English "Mr" (Spanish Señor, Italian Signore, German Herr) or to the English formal "you" (Polish Pan). Compare "gentleman". The term gentleman (from Latin gentilis, belonging to a race or gens, and man, cognate with the French word gentilhomme, the Spanish hombre gentil, and the Italian gentil huomo), in its original and strict signification, denoted a man of good family, the Latin generosus (its invariable translation in English-Latin...

In Scotland, the word Laird is also used for minor feudal landlords or masters of landed estates.

Title

In the United Kingdom, the House of Lords - commonly known as "the Lords" - forms the upper house of Parliament. Until recently many hereditary lords (particularly English lords - as opposed to Scottish and Irish lords - had automatic membership of the House of Lords - but see House of Lords Act 1999. This article is about the British House of Lords. ... An aerial view of Parliament of India at New Delhi. ... The House of Lords Act 1999, an Act of Parliament passed by the British Parliament, was a major constitutional enactment as it completely reformed one of the chambers of Parliament, the House of Lords. ...

Five ranks of peer exist in the UK, namely Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and Baron; and all male peers except dukes use the style "Lord X". The title "Lord" also applies by courtesy to certain of their children, e.g. the younger sons of dukes and marquesses can use the style "Lord (firstname) (lastname)". Many Marquesses, Earls, Viscounts and Barons use the style "Lord (title)"; for example, Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, commonly known as "Lord Tennyson". Barons, in particular, are almost never referred to as anything but "Lord X". In the Peerage of Scotland, the members of the lowest level of the peerage have the title "Lord of Parliament" rather than "Baron". The Peerage is a system of titles of nobility which exists in the United Kingdom and is one part of the British honours system. ... The term duke is a title of nobility which refers to the sovereign male ruler of a Continental European duchy, to a nobleman of the highest grade of the British peerage, or to the highest rank of nobility in various other European countries, including Portugal, Spain and France (in Italy... A marquess is a nobleman of hereditary rank in Europe, China, and Japan. ... An Earl as a member of the British peerage ranks below a Marquess and above a Viscount. ... A viscount is a member of the European nobility, especially, as in the British peerage, ranking above a baron, below a (British) earl or (his continental equivalent) count. ... Baron is a specific title of nobility or a more generic feudal qualification. ... Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (August 6, 1809 - October 6, 1892) is generally regarded as one of the greatest English poets. ... The Peerage of Scotland is the division of the British Peerage for those peers created in the Kingdom of Scotland before 1707. ... A Lord of Parliament is a member of the lowest rank of Scottish peerage, ranking below a viscount. ...

Senior judges use the title "Lord":

• the Law Lords or "Lords of Appeal in Ordinary" who have the rank of life barons
• judges of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, known as "Lords Justices of Appeal"
• judges of the Scottish Court of Session, known as "Lords of Council and Session"

Various high offices of state may carry the cachet of honorary lords: thus we find titles such as Lord High Chancellor. The House of Lords, in addition to having a legislative function, has a judicial function as a court of last resort within the United Kingdom. ... Her Majestys Court of Appeal is the second most senior court in the English legal system (with only the judges of the House of Lords above it). ... The Court of Session is the supreme civil court in Scotland. ... The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor and in former times Chancellor of England, is one of the most senior and important functionaries in the government of the United Kingdom. ...

Another English title, that of "lord of the manor", does not connote peerage and does not carry parliamentary rights. The title merely marks the holder as the owner of a manor who has certain local rights. It carries no social marker. In England, Lord of the Manor is a feudal title. ...

See also

• Overlord
• Lord Chancellor
• Lord High Treasurer
• Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales
• Lord High Admiral
• Lord High Constable
• Lord Chamberlain
• Lord President of the Council
• Lord Privy Seal