[Bryn-gwlad] uses of "m'lord"/"m'lady" (was: Greetings Unto All)

[SS ALLEN]

Thank you Coblaith.  That makes more sense.
Ilariia
--- Coblaith Mhuimhneach <Coblaith at sbcglobal.net>
wrote:

> Ilariia addressed a visitor to our lands using
> "m'lord" as a substitute 
> for his title.  Daniel explained that that isn't how
> the term works, 
> and suggested something like, "good my lord"
> instead.  Ilariia wrote:
> > Thank you for the correction.  I have been
> confused about when to use 
> > milord/milady and my lord/ my lady.
> 
> and Daniel replied:
> > So far as I know "milord" = "my lord" = "m'lord"
> and "milady = my 
> > lady" = "m'lady".
> >
> > But "lord" =/= "milord".
> 
> Then Ilariia asked:
> > But isn't my lord/lady the way you refer to
> someone who is titled but 
> > you don't know in what way and milord/lady the way
> to address anyone 
> > whom you don't know?
> 
> "M'lord" is an contraction of "my lord", as is
> "m'lady" of "my lady".  
> (The relationship is the same as that between
> "can't" and "can not".)
> 
> In the S.C.A., "m'lord" and "m'lady" are used as
> generic terms of 
> respect (because, so far as I can tell, everything
> and anything else 
> that anyone's been able to come up with that might
> be is already in use 
> as the specialized form of address for holders of
> some honor or other). 
>   So, if you want to speak directly to someone with
> courtly grace and 
> don't know their title, you can use "m'lord" as you
> would use that 
> title if you knew it.  For example:
> 
> New Friend:  Greetings!  How are you this fine day?
> Ilariia:  Greetings, m'lord.  I am quite well.  And
> yourself?
> 
> as opposed to:
> 
> Baron Muckety von Muck:  Greetings!  How are you
> this fine day?
> Ilariia:  Greetings, Your Grace.  I am quite well. 
> And yourself?
> 
> 
> It has much in common, as Daniel said, with "sir"
> and "ma'am" as they 
> are used in the Old South.  Where I grew up,
> conversations like this 
> are common:
> 
> Older Adult:  Well, hey, there!  How are you this
> fine mornin'?
> Younger Adult:  Well, sir, I'm doin' alright.  How
> about you?
> 
> What Daniel was trying to explain is that "m'lord",
> while it can be 
> used en lieu of a title, is not itself a title, and
> doesn't combine 
> with names the way titles do.  You might say, "Good
> morning, m'lord," 
> to Lord Tobias, but you would not say, "Good
> morning, m'lord Tobias," 
> just as you might say, "Good morning, ma'am," to an
> older woman named 
> "Sofie", but wouldn't say, "Good morning, ma'am
> Sofie."
> 
> Of course, where I grew up we had "mister" and
> "miss" to draw on, so we 
> could say, "Good morning, Miss Sofie." 
> Unfortunately, the Society 
> hasn't come up with a good term of address that
> isn't rank-specific, so 
> you're left with the choice of using the gentle's
> name without one 
> (which could be considered presumptuous, if you
> don't know them), 
> taking a guess (which could be wrong), not using the
> gentle's name at 
> all, or being ungrammatical by using "m'lord" or
> "m'lady" with the 
> gentle's name.  Different people make different
> choices in that regard.
> 
> It bothered me when we first entered the S.C.A.  I'm
> a modern sort of 
> girl, generally, but the Society's take on
> respectful discourse is 
> close enough to what I grew up with to put me in an
> old-fashioned frame 
> of mind.  I find myself as reluctant to call those
> with higher ranks by 
> their names alone (unless they've indicated that's
> their preference) as 
> I am to call those my grandmother's age by theirs
> when I'm visiting her 
> part of the country.  Of course, bad grammar rubs me
> the wrong way, 
> too, so when I don't know people's ranks I usually
> try to avoid using 
> their names altogether.  As Daniel indicated,
> "Welcome, my lord," works 
> just fine without one.
> 
> 
> Coblaith Mhuimhneach
> <mailto:Coblaith at sbcglobal.net>
> 
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