Sir
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See also: Appendix:Variations of "sir"
English
Etymology 1
Noun
Sir (plural Sirs)
- Alternative letter-case form of sir.
- 1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter II, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. , volume I, London: for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC, pages 69–70:
- “Every minute,” continued M. Krempe with warmth, “every instant that you have wasted on those books is utterly and entirely lost. You have burdened your memory with exploded systems, and useless names. Good God! in what desert land have you lived, where no one was kind enough to inform you that these fancies, which you have so greedily imbibed, are a thousand years old, and as musty as they are ancient? I little expected in this enlightened and scientific age to find a disciple of Albertus Magnus and Paracelsus. My dear Sir, you must begin your studies entirely anew.”
- (British) The titular prefix given to a knight or baronet.
- (Philippines, colloquial or informal) A respectful term of address or reference to a man of higher rank or position before the man's given name or nickname.
Usage notes
- The title "Sir" is used with the knight's given or full name, but not his family name. If John Smith is knighted, he is known as Sir John Smith or Sir John, but properly never Sir Smith. He may thus be called Sir John wherever he would formerly have been called Mr. Smith.
Coordinate terms
- Dame (woman who holds a knighthood; used with her given name or full name)
- Lady (title used for the wife of a knight or baronet, with her married last name)
- (titles) (of a man): Mr (Mister, mister), Sir (sir); (of a woman): Ms (Miz, mizz), Mrs (Mistress, mistress), Miss (miss), Dame (dame), Madam (madam, ma'am); (of a non-binary person): Mx (Mixter); (see also): Dr (Doctor, doctor) (Category: en:Titles)
Translations
title
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Etymology 2
Proper noun
Sir
- Alternative form of Syr
- 1884, Élisée Reclus, translated by Ernest George Ravenstein et al., The Earth and Its Inhabitants, Vol. VI, p. 187:
- The Kara-tau, or "Black Mountain," the last spur of the Tian-shan towards the north-west, seldom exceeds 6,500 feet in height, but is geographically of great importance, as forming the water-parting between the Sir and Chu basins. It also abounds most in coal, iron, copper, and argentiferous lead.